


Fragile Lines and Wasted Time

by Hollyspacey



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types, Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bucky Barnes Has Issues, Canon-Typical Violence, Clint Barton's Farm, Darcy Lewis & Natasha Romanov Friendship, F/M, Hydra (Marvel), Kidnapping, Not Avengers: Age of Ultron (Movie) Compliant, Protective Bucky Barnes, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-17
Updated: 2015-06-19
Packaged: 2018-04-04 19:39:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4150329
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hollyspacey/pseuds/Hollyspacey
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Darcy is on Hydra's list, which is decidedly NOT a good thing. So, she is sent into hiding at Clint's farmhouse with none other than Bucky Barnes as her protector.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So, this story. I feel like this story forever to write, mostly because I kept stopping to write smut and fluffier things. But I'm still super excited and relieved that it's done. Obviously not AOU-compliant, because of reasons.  
> Un-beta'd, although a big thanks to Whovian_Muggle for being my first reader and hand-holder.  
> Title comes from 'Ditmas' by Mumford & Sons  
> As always, I'm on the Tumblr as Hollyspacey, come be my friend. :)  
> I hope you guys enjoy!

The first thing Darcy saw when she came to was a grimy window in front of her. She lay still for a few moments trying to figure out what was happening. She was lying on a concrete floor, the air was damp and cool and her body was aching all over. Her face felt sore and tight and she winced as she tried moving her jaw. Her head began spinning as she struggled to sit up. Darcy felt a bubble of panic begin to rise but forced it back down, determined not to freak out. _What the hell?_

Her head was fuzzy but bits and pieces of memory began coming back to her. She had gone out to get lunch for Jane and Bruce. They'd been working all week on a formula and finally cracked it, so she wanted to get them something special. She had just walked out of their favorite deli when a man bumped into her. When she turned back to glare at him, she felt someone grab her and pull her into the alley where she saw two men waiting. She was able to get her taser out of her back and discharge it in the direction of the one closest to her before she felt something cover her face, and then, darkness. 

Now she was here, god knows where, taken by god knows who. Ok, maybe now was a time to panic. She ignored the pounding in her head and pushed herself to her feet to walk to the window. She was able to take two steps before she felt a tug at her ankle. _Well, that's not good_ , she thought, as she took in the chain attaching her ankle to the floor. She gave an experimental tug and then groaned as she realized she was definitely stuck. 

Darcy forced herself to take a deep breath, _they will come for me. They have to. Oh! Yes! They would!_ Because she had fired her taser, her beautiful, specially made taser that doubled as a panic button when activated and also had a built-in GPS, the very same GPS that could be found in her phone and her key card for the Tower. Darcy could have kissed Tony and his over-protective self at this point. Even if they destroyed her taser and tossed her purse, at least the team had a starting point to find her. 

Ok. stay calm, give them time, they will come for you . Darcy kept repeating this to herself, a mantra against the rising panic that threatened her sanity. The very panic that started to choke her the moment she heard the door opening. She drew back into the shadows as far as the chain would allow her, before standing tall and trying to look unruffled by her current situation, as if she were kidnapped on a weekly basis and she was so not impressed. Easier said than done. 

Two men walked into the room, one small and sweaty looking and the other much taller and carrying a very large gun. Darcy forced herself to breathe evenly. Short and Sweaty was obviously the leader of the two, as he waved back the other man and walked towards Darcy, smirking. "How's your face feeling?" He asked with a sneer, "I don't know if you feel it yet, but I think that shiner won't feel too great tomorrow. And I'm thinking you may need some stitches. But that's what happens when you tase someone who's bigger than you." 

He gestured back to the brawny guy behind him and gave a snort of laughter. "Now, I'm only gonna say this once, I don't like to repeat myself. You are completely under our control. There is nowhere for you to go and even if your little superhero friends do decide to come looking for you, they won't find you. So, it will be in your best interests to work with us, because believe me when I say that we can make things very unpleasant for you." 

Darcy took a deep breath, "What do you want from me? I'm a lab assistant, literally the only thing I know is everyone's coffee orders." Not entirely true, but best not to let the bad guys know she was as buddy-buddy with the Avengers as she was. 

Her plan came to her in that instant, make it obvious that they had kidnapped the wrong person, had wasted time and energy abducting her and she was not an asset at all. At the very least, stall until she could be rescued. Because _they were definitely coming._

Short and Sweaty turned to his steroid-y friend and let out a dark chuckle, "Ya hear that? We grabbed the wrong girl. Guess we better just let her go!" When he turned back to Darcy, he had a chilling look in his eyes. "Don't try to outsmart us. It won't work. We know everything Darcy Lewis, assistant to Jane Foster, Bruce Banner and Tony Stark. We know you live in Stark Tower. We know about New Mexico and London and we know that you know much more than you are letting on. We also know that you are gonna be the one to tell us all about the research that goes on in that lab. We want to know and you are gonna tell us." _Fat chance of that_ , Darcy thought. 

The next time Darcy woke up, she thankfully remembered exactly where she was and what was happening. Of course the pain quickly drowned out any prayer of thanks she could have possibly made. She shifted on the floor a bit, trying to assess her injuries. It didn’t seem like anything was broken, although the pain in her ribs made her a little nervous. 

She could feel scrapes and bumps and bruises on various parts of her body, and she didn’t want to know how bad her face looked. Short and Sweaty had spent a special amount of time hitting her there. She gingerly reached up and felt a line of dried blood at her eyebrow and at her lip, Her eye was swollen and tender, that must have been from the guy she tased, although it felt worse than before. Short and Sweaty had probably just hit her there again. Maybe that was what made her pass out. 

She sat up, groaning at the pain the movement caused. She hugged her knees and fought the rising panic that now seemed never-ending. What she wouldn’t do for one of her people to walk in here right now. 

Darcy was still trying to calm herself when she noticed a shadow streak past the window. Trying not to get too excited, she stood up and walked as close to the window as possible, trying to see through the dirty glass. The shadow passed by again and she could’ve sworn she saw a glint of red and gold. Suddenly, she heard yelling out in the hallway and a series of gunshots, followed by a few muffled thumps. 

The moment the door flew open, Darcy almost passed out with relief. There stood Natasha and Clint, “Darcy!” they both called. They rushed forward, Natasha giving her a fierce, unexpected hug. They looked her over, noticing the heavy chain. Clint spoke into his comms and a moment later, Iron Man came in the room, “Always getting yourself into trouble, huh, Double D’s?” 

Darcy let out a hysterical laugh, “Shut up, if I weren’t so happy to see you, I’d punch you.” 

“Now that’s no way to talk to your knight in literal shining armor.” He paused, leaning down to look at her more closely, “Are you okay?” Darcy nodded, letting out a small gasp of relief when he blasted the chains off of her. 

“She will be better when we get her out of here.” Natasha said as she looked her over for injuries, before she gathered Darcy into her arms and walked her from the room. 

Darcy tried to avoid looking at the bodies littering the hallway, a small part of her deliriously glad to recognize Short and Sweaty as one of the recently departed. “Did you get ‘em all?” Darcy asked in a small voice. 

Clint tensed up and glanced at Natasha, who was frowning, “Yeah, we got ‘em Darce. We’re just taking their files and then we’re gonna blow this place sky high.” 

“Thanks, Clint. You too, Nat.” Natasha just nodded and held her against her side. On their way out, Darcy got a glimpse of Steve in his Captain uniform in a room full of equipment. So, they’d brought the whole crew for her. 

Eventually they reached the quinjet, where Darcy was buckled in and given a bottle of water while they finished searching the compound. After everyone was onboard, the quinjet lifted and angled so Darcy could see the compound from her seat. She watched as the whole thing exploded and fell into a pile of rubble. Natasha rubbed her hand, “It’s all over, Darcy.” 

Darcy felt like crying but felt the need to hold it together. She knew no one would judge her for breaking down, but she needed answers, “Who were those guys?” Steve sighed, rubbing his neck, “It’s a small splinter cell within Hydra. They want Jane and her research, and by connection, you. Apparently they knew all about you from your former intern.” Darcy shuddered at the thought of Ian, her one-time intern who was secretly a Hydra agent. 

Right before they’d moved into the Tower, the SHIELD files had dropped. Ian had disappeared and Darcy, being suspicious of him, had searched for his file and discovered his connection to the organization. She’d gotten in touch with Phil Coulson, who, surprise surprise, turned out to be not as dead as previously thought. They’d tracked his whereabouts until they discovered he had been killed on a raid of a Hydra compound a few weeks later. But not before running his mouth about Jane’s work, apparently. 

“So this whole thing is my fault. If I’d never hired Ian, we wouldn’t be here, and there wouldn’t a target on mine or Jane’s back. Wait, Jane’s ok, isn’t she?” Steve nodded, coming over to rub the back of her neck, “She’s fine. Thor took her off world, so she’s completely safe. And this isn’t your fault. Hell, Hydra has been hiding in SHIELD for decades and no one knew. They obviously already had an interest in Jane’s work anyway, you did nothing wrong.” Darcy shook her head, looking down. 

Natasha squeezed her hand, “Kotyonok, you are hardly the first to be deceived by Hydra. Do not make it worse by blaming yourself. It does no one any good.” Darcy gave her a small smile and squeezed her hand back, “Thank you. All of you. Really, I’ve never been happier to see you guys.” They all looked at her, a haze of gratitude in each of their eyes.

*****

When they arrived at the Tower, Darcy was sent up to medical, to have her wounds examined. Natasha and Steve came in a few minutes after the doctor had patched her up. Steve spoke first, "We are moving you from the Tower. These guys are going to be after you now and they are not going to rest until they have you. This place is a fortress, but we don't want them to know where you are at all, so you are going to stay in a safe house until we can track down the rest of the cell." 

Darcy swallowed, "What about Jane? It was her research they were after." 

Steve frowned, "She and Thor are staying in Asgard. His father wouldn't allow him to bring you too, though." 

"Of course not, what an ass." Darcy thought a moment, "Where am I going? And when?" 

Natasha sat down in the chair beside her, "I can't say, but believe me when I say it's very off-grid. This isn't a SHIELD safehouse, it's not connected to SHIELD at all, actually. It's completely untraceable. And you'll be leaving within the hour. Sorry, but we have to get going before Hydra has a chance to regroup."

Darcy nodded, "Ok. I understand. Are either of you going to come with me?"

Natasha frowned and gave a soft shake of her head, "No, I have to get these guys. I'm sorry, Darce.” Steve had a conflicted look on his face, too, “We would if we could, believe me. But Bucky is going with you. He knows how to fight these guys if it comes down to it, and he'll do anything to protect you. Also, Hydra has no clue that he is here. They won't be looking for him." 

Darcy put a determined look on her face, "Alright. That's fine. I'll be fine. If Bucky's there, I'll be safe." Natasha brushed a strand of Darcy's hair out of her face and gave her a small kiss on the top of her head, "I'm gonna go pack you a bag. Just wait here and I'll be back in a bit." 

"Thank you, Nat." Natasha just nodded and left the room. Steve looked at her, “Bucky really will protect you, Darce. We are gonna find these guys and before you know it, you’ll be back here bossing your scientists around again.” Darcy chuckled, “It is my favorite thing to do. And I know he’ll take care of me. I trust him.” 

Steve nodded, a tired smile on his face, “I’m sorry this happened to you. I’m gonna do everything in my power to make sure they pay for what they did.” Darcy felt her chest get tight, “Thank you, Steve. For everything. Now, go, kick some Hydra butt.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” He kissed her cheek and turned to leave, giving her a quick salute before he walked out. 

Darcy sat back on the bed, feeling the tears filling her eyes. Perfect. How was this her life? She shook her head, forcing the tears back. She would definitely cry and freak out. But later, not now. Now she had to keep it together. 

She hated the idea of having to go into hiding. The fact that there were very bad people who were looking for her was so scary. And she didn't want to leave the Tower, but it made sense for her to go into hiding. She would've hated putting the other people in the Tower in danger. So she'd sneak off into the shadows while Steve and Nat and the rest of them searched for the people searching for her. At least she would have Bucky there to protect her. And he would. She trusted him with her life, so at least that was a positive.

*****

Darcy didn't know that Bucky was in the next room and heard her conversation with Natasha and Steve. Her words kept running through his head, 'If Bucky's there, I'll be safe.’ ‘I trust him.' 

Hearing someone like Darcy say something like that was astounding, Bucky wasn't sure how to react. 

It filled him with such a sense of wonder and happiness. To have someone like her put her trust in him implicitly, he wanted to grin like an idiot. But Bucky knew that this trust was a dangerous thing. He knew that he was capable of harming her so easily, and it scared him to have her dismiss that danger. 

Darcy had just been abducted and beaten by the very people who had trained him to be a human weapon, and here she was placing her life in his hands without a second thought. It was frankly a little terrifying. She should have been running in the opposite direction of every one of them, it was because of her connection to them that caused her abduction in the first place. She might be willing to overlook the danger she was in, but Bucky made a promise to himself right then and there that he wasn't going to allow her to get hurt again on their account. 

And if that meant keeping his distance from her, he would have to do it. Of course, being secluded at Clint's farmhouse would make things difficult, but he would make sure that he would keep her at arm's length. It was for her own benefit, nothing good could come from a friendship with anyone with his past.

*****

What should have prepared Bucky for Darcy was what happened the first time they met. He had been at the Tower for a few weeks and Steve had slowly been taking him around to meet everyone. Eventually on one of their meet and greets they ended up in one of the labs. 

He had already met Bruce, him being one of Steve's fellow Avengers, but Steve wanted him to meet one of the scientists, Thor's girl, and her assistant, who Steve had gotten close to. He’d mentioned her on more than one occasion and Bucky could tell he was exciting about the two of them meeting. Apparently, she was a firecracker. 

They walked into the lab only to be met with an angry girl, screaming at another girl and shoving a plate of food in her face. Bucky was suddenly not looking forward to this. Tony was sitting beside Bruce tossing a wrench back and forth in his hands watching the scene with a grin. As the loud girl stomped back to berate Tony for 'being a shit-stirrer and not letting her scientists eat' and to shove food at Bruce, Steve and Bucky slid into the lab and walked over to the lady leaning over some machinery. 

Bucky felt himself tense up. To say scientists and strange equipment were not among his favorite things would have been an understatement. Hydra made sure of that. Bucky forced himself to focus as Steve introduced him to Dr. Jane Foster. He was slightly calmer after that. The scientist was tiny and paid him very little attention, not to mention that she was dating Thor, whom Bucky seemed to trust for some reason. She was obviously no threat. 

They said their goodbyes to Jane and turned around, only to meet the loud girl, hands on hips, curious expression on her face. She looked back and forth between Steve and Bucky, barely raising an eyebrow as she looked him over. 

Bucky felt himself straightening his spine under her frank appraisal. "Hey Darce, this is my friend Bucky Barnes. He's staying at the Tower with us now. Buck, this is Darcy Lewis. She's Dr. Foster's assistant." The two of them stared at each other a moment, each sizing up the other, then suddenly Darcy's face broke out in a massive grin. "Now I have two senior citizens!" she squealed, "Well, three if you count Tony." 

"Hey! I am not that old. Can we stop with the old man jokes?" Darcy looked over at Tony, eyebrow raised, "I'll stop with the geezer comments if you stop with the boob jokes." A look crossed Tony's face as he fought some internal battle. "Proceed," he sighed. 

Darcy turned back only to catch Bucky glancing down at the very boobs Tony liked talking about. "Eyes up, soldier," she said with a grin. "Sorry." Bucky mumbled, feeling a slight flush on his face. Darcy just shrugged and thrust out her hand, "It's fine. Anyway, it's nice to meet you, Bucky Barnes." Bucky felt how soft her hand was and how her eyes held a spark of something he couldn't quite identify and he felt the old Bucky stirring inside of him. "It's nice to meet you too, Darcy Lewis." 

She paused, as if weighing something in her mind, before rushing forward and wrapping her arms around him, enveloping him in a hug. Bucky felt himself tense, he couldn't remember the last time someone had touched him in such a way, especially a woman. Even Steve seemed hesitant about touching him, unsure about how Bucky would react. And here was this girl he had just met, pulling him into an embrace, with almost no hesitation. 

After a moment, Bucky felt himself relax and Darcy squeezed him once, and said, "Welcome to the Tower, Bucky." before pulling away, tapping Steve on the chest, and skipping back to her scientists. Bucky looked over at Steve who just smiled and shook his head, "Told you she was a firecracker." 

They left the lab, Darcy's voice starting up again behind them, "Oh, c'mon Tony, don't pout. You know I love you."


	2. Chapter 2

The first time Bucky saw Darcy may have been that day Steve introduced them in the lab, but Darcy was there the moment Steve and Sam brought him into the Tower. Steve had been gone for weeks searching for him, only showing up to the Tower occasionally to meet up with Sam or check in with Tony to see if there were any new leads. During these visits Darcy met Sam and they became fast friends. Also, she used these moments to catch up with Steve.

It worried her how run-down he was starting to look. Not just physically, although she could tell that he wasn't eating and sleeping the way that he should have, but also mentally. This search for his childhood friend was eating him alive. She had never seen Steve look so upset. As a result, Darcy spent a lot of time worrying about her friend, praying that he and Sam would find Bucky soon, and without a fight. And eventually they did.

On the day they arrived at the Tower, Darcy was up on the security floor with Happy, in an intense discussion about Sherlock. The man loved his British television. Suddenly, Happy's computer starting beeping and a message from Tony popped up. Darcy tried not to be nosy but she caught some of the words on the screen.

Steve. Lockdown. Medical.

Darcy felt her throat go dry. _Was Steve hurt?_ Happy quickly closed the message before she could read more and started ushering her out. "Sorry, Darcy, I have to ask you to go back to your floor for a bit. We're going into lockdown mode." Darcy dug in her heels and threw her hands on her hips, "What is going on, Happy? I know it's something to do with Steve. Tell me."

"Darcy, you have to go."

"You know I'm gonna find out anyway. Steve is my friend. I'm not leaving until you tell me." Happy just sighed. His many years working with Tony taught him to recognize the look in her eyes. "Fine, just give me a second." He moved back to the desk and did some typing before turning back to Darcy. "Steve and Sam are on their way back to the Tower. They found him."

She took a deep breath, "Is everyone ok?"

"Yeah, it looks that way. Sam and Steve are, anyway. They are taking Bucky directly to Medical. This is being kept very quiet, hence the lockdown."

"Thank you, Happy." Happy just nodded and pulled up the screen for the back entrance to the Tower. Darcy sat down and they watched on in silence. Eventually, three figures moved onto the screen. Darcy let out a sigh of relief when she saw that Steve and Sam really were ok.

She tried to get a look at Bucky but he was wedged between the two other men and he was faced away from the camera. He was walking on his own though, which Darcy took as a good sign. Happy started typing again and the door opened and the three men walked in, Steve throwing back a grateful wave up to the security camera.

Darcy felt better seeing that her friends were back safe, so she decided to let Happy get back to work, giving him a brief hug and throwing a "Thanks, Happy." over her shoulder. He stopped for a moment to shrug and grin before turning back to his screens.

Darcy wandered down to the labs, happy to see the excitement hadn't distracted Jane and Bruce from their Science. That would have been a true tragedy. She threw herself into her work, making some tea for Bruce and coffee for Jane, and entering in the data from the sheets she managed to slip from beneath Jane's elbows.

*****

Two days later, Darcy was able to corner Sam and get the full story of Bucky's rescue. Steve and Sam had tracked Bucky's movements to the Canadian border where they eventually found him. He was a little confused and disoriented and had a few physical injuries, but nothing serious. He seemed to have snapped out of Winter Soldier mode, as they were calling it, but there was something broken in him, some part that was making it hard for him to process who exactly he was and what had happened. He had an idea of who Steve was, and he knew that once upon a time he had been Bucky Barnes, he'd been to the Smithsonian exhibit apparently, but the whole situation was kind of blurry to him.

The doctors agreed the best thing was to put him under to get a look at the arm and fix some of his injuries and also to hook him up and try to get a look at his brain waves. He could wake at any moment and Steve had apparently refused to leave his room. Darcy knew how Steve could be and was worried about him. Just because Bucky was back didn't mean the nightmare was over.

She made sure her scientists were busy and fed and went to her room to pack a bag and get JARVIS to order some food. Darcy entered the medical wing and wandered until she found Bucky's room. She knew all of the Avengers had all stopped to visit at some point so she was expecting to maybe see some of them, but when she entered the sitting area outside of Bucky's room, all she saw was Steve sitting on the couch, looking exhausted.

She frowned, Poor Steve. She tapped gently on the doorframe, "Hey, soldier." Steve looked up and gave her a tired smile, "Darcy." She walked into the room, plopping on the couch beside him, "So, how's it going?" He just shook his head and let out a rough laugh, "I've been better, but he's here."

"I know, you did good." she said, nudging his shoulder. Steve just grinned. "Anyway, I brought things. First, food." She pulled the takeout and a bottle of water from her bag. Steve groaned as he smelled the food, "Oh my, I was starving Darce. I've been living off of granola bars since we got back."

Darcy glared at him, "So I heard. Anyway, here's the deal. You are gonna sit here and eat your food and then you're gonna go upstairs-" Steve started to protest but she cut him off with a wave of her hand and a glare, "Shh. You're gonna go upstairs and shower and put on clean clothes and just get out of this room for at least half an hour."

"I can't, Darce. I don't want him to wake up and be alone." Darcy leaned back on the couch, "He won't be alone. I'll be here. I am not gonna move from this spot. And if there's even a fluttering of his eyelids, the nurses will get me and I'll call you and you'll be here in, like, 10 seconds. So, hush and do as I say."

Steve hesitated, "Are you sure, Darce? I really can't ask you to do this."

"You didn't ask me. I offered. Steve, you are my friend, and whenever that one in there wakes up I'm gonna make him be my friend too, so just shut up. This is what friends do for each other." Steve nodded, eating his food. "Plus, you definitely need to bathe, I could smell you all the way up in the labs. The stench was throwing off Jane's results and she was getting antsy. Bruce too. I think if you go much longer the Other Guy is gonna come out and go on a rampage."

Steve gave a mock angry look to Darcy and threw a balled-up napkin at her. Darcy just giggled and batted it away.  When he finished, he gathered his plate and stood, hesitating at the door. "Thank you for this, Darcy. I won't be too long."

She shrugged, "Take your time, Steve. I don't have anywhere to be, my little ones are hard at work. Shoo." He just threw her a salute and left, "Yes, ma'am." Darcy looked around the drab, clinical waiting room, _How did Steve do this for two days? It's been two minutes and I'm bored to tears._ Her eyes landed on the doorway into Bucky's room. Glancing around, Darcy stood and headed towards it.

When she got to the doorway she got her first glimpse of Bucky Barnes in the flesh. She knew of him, first through the stories in school of the Howling Commandos and then, later in stories that Steve told her. She'd always had a little crush on the guy in her history books, his heroism and bravery was well-documented, and in the pictures he always had this jaunty little grin on his face.

Even standing beside literal-Adonis Captain America, it was hard not to be drawn to him. And of course Steve had told her stories of the two of them growing up in Brooklyn, Steve causing trouble, Bucky saving him, both of them looking out for the other. Looking at Bucky now, she could just make out the face that had stared back at her from textbooks and old film reels. There was something else on his face now, though. Something both softer and harder.

Darcy felt something shift in her chest looking at Bucky. He had been through so much, would still have to fight through a lot, but he was, finally, safe. Steve had brought him home and now he had people who cared about him and wanted to help him. She found herself nearing the bed to get a closer look at him. His hair was longer than she had ever seen in any old pictures, he needed a good shave, and of course there was the arm. It reminded her of Tony's suit, so maybe she wasn't as fearful of it as she should be.

She had read the files, she knew just how deadly it was. But, for better or worse, it was a part of Bucky now, and as terrified as she was of the Winter Soldier, Darcy knew deep down Bucky was a good guy. But she knew there were gonna be people who wouldn't be able to look past the things the Winter Soldier had done.

Steve was gonna be by his side, of course. Sam, too. And Darcy would bet the rest of the Avengers would accept him into the fold quite easily. But everyone else? It wasn't gonna be easy for Bucky Barnes, more than likely. As she looked at him, she felt a swell of emotion.

She made a promise right then and there that she was gonna be there for him every step of the way. She wanted to become someone he could trust, someone that he knew had his back implicitly, someone that wanted him to be happy. The wash of affection for this man she technically had never met, should have frightened Darcy, but she just knew that this man was a good man and that he was going to need people on his side. And she was more than willing to be one of them.

Darcy stood guard for a few more minutes, until a nurse came in to check his vitals. She went back to the couch and pulled out her laptop to start an episode of Dog Cops. Steve showed up a bit later. He peeked into Bucky's room and sat beside her, "I'm guessing no change."

"Nope, I did creep in and look at him, though. He looks good, all things considered. I think he'll be ok, Steve." He smiled down at Darcy, "I can't wait for him to meet you. He's not gonna know what hit him." Darcy just grinned, "Oh, I'm SO taking that as a compliment. I will definitely keep him on his toes."

Darcy stood up, "Well, I am going to check on Jane and Bruce, although I have a feeling they'll be right where I left them." She handed him her duffle bag she'd packed, "Here is some stuff to keep you from losing it. I stole one of Tony's tablets and it's connected to my Netflix, so watch away. And I threw in some books and snacks. Now, you know how telephones work, right old man? Because if you need anything I expect you to call me. Even if you just wanna step outside for a few minutes and want me to keep watch. I honestly don't mind."

A look of gratitude passed over Steve's face. "Thank you, Darcy. I really appreciate this, all of it. Just, thanks." She shrugged, 'You're welcome. I'll try to stop by tomorrow. Bye, Steve."

"Bye, Darcy."

But tomorrow she would not stop by, because that very night Bucky Barnes would wake up. The entire medical ward was blocked off as they determined what his reaction to everything would be, but he seemed more well-adjusted than anyone could have anticipated. He wasn't completely well by any means, but he was functioning and not trying to kill anyone, which most everyone agreed was pretty fantastic.

Darcy saw very little of Steve after that, he was constantly with Bucky, first in the medical ward, then in his apartment, after he'd been cleared. They texted pretty regularly, and occasionally she would run into him in the kitchen or the common room. Those first couple of weeks he looked tired and ragged. Darcy had the feeling it was not easy for Bucky to adjust to his new life. After awhile, though, Steve started showing up around the common areas more often, and he seemed more like his old self.

Most telling was that when he was asked about Bucky, his eyes had begun losing that haunted look. He started smiling again, and talking about Bucky in full sentences. No more, "He's ok." or "He had a bad night." or "We're figuring it out."

Obviously something was happening because now Steve had stories about Bucky, anecdotes about him discovering new things. Slowly, Steve began introducing Bucky to the team. Darcy was impatient. She desperately wanted to meet Bucky, but she knew what Steve was doing. He was introducing Bucky to the people who knew how to interact with someone who could turn very dangerous very quickly. He was testing the waters before moving on to the people, like her, who were not exactly equipped to meet a former brainwashed assassin.

Although she was a little offended, I mean, hello, she had taken on Thor himself with only a taser.

*****

The thing that Bucky had noticed first about Darcy was the touching. She was extremely touchy-feely and for someone who had spent a good seven decades with no one touching him in kindness, it was disconcerting to say the least. He probably wouldn't have noticed her at all, he had a tendency of ignoring everyone who wasn't Natasha or Steve, but she was not the type to go unnoticed for long.

The way she’d greeted him the first time they met meant that he was curious about her. He could easily read the other Avengers, the spies, the scientists. He could fit them all into their proper categories and be done with it, but Darcy didn’t fit into any of his categories. Even labeling her ‘civilian’ didn’t feel right, although her very being screamed ‘no threat.’

She was so much more than a simple civilian, just look at where she lived and who she called her friends. So, perhaps it was a need to find a place for Darcy in his mind that caused Bucky to spend so much time studying her. Or at least that’s what he told himself.

Everyone was in the common room at the Tower one night, eating takeout and socializing, Tony's idea of course. Bucky was sitting in the corner in the chair he had claimed as his own, glancing over at Natasha as she sat at the couch to his right. He felt himself tense up when, a moment later, Darcy came and sat down by Natasha. Not just at her side, but beside her. He watched as Darcy leaned on Natasha and linked their arms. Something had to be wrong.

The Natasha he knew didn't do contact like that. And, she looked so relaxed, something was up. He watched them interact with one another and it was off-putting how easy Natasha seemed with the girl. He knew that the girl was different. He knew that she was hard to decipher, that he couldn't quite get a handle on her.

Every interaction he'd had with her had thrown him for a loop. However, that might not be saying much. Since coming to the Tower and trying to throw off The Winter Soldier, many things had taken some getting used to.

Still watching Nat and Darcy, you could have knocked him over with a feather as Darcy angled Natasha to the side, turned and began braiding her hair. He didn't know how to process this, it felt like his early days in the Tower, when everything was so harsh and confusing. He didn't know how to process a Natasha who not only allowed physical contact but actually seemed to enjoy it.

In that moment, Bucky vowed to keep an eye on Darcy. Maybe there was more to her than he could have guessed. From then on, he began to watch her, to see how she interacted with everyone. And just as he suspected, she was like that with everyone. Always touching and laughing.

It made sense that she would be like that with Jane. She was Darcy's boss but also her best friend, so of course they were close. Always hugging or high-fiving about something scientific that had happened. Thor also made sense. He was touchy-feely himself and the two together had very few boundaries. They were always touching, but it was completely platonic. Darcy poking his muscles, Thor giving her piggyback rides, or the two cuddling up on the couch with Jane.

Then there was Clint, he and Darcy had become fast friends due to a mutual snark and affection for practical jokes. So they touched a lot too. Usually Darcy leaning against him during movie nights or linking her arms with his as they went off, scheming. She even touched Bruce, a man who actively tried to avoid human contact. She'd bring him a cup of tea and pat him on the hand or ruffle his hair. He never seemed upset by her lack of boundaries, just accepted her touches with a small smile. Tony, too, seemed to be under the girl's spell. They argued and insulted each other constantly, but there was always a sense of great affection between the two. They were always poking each other or pulling the other's hair, or Darcy slinging an arm around his shoulder as she watched him work.

There just seemed to be no boundaries with this girl. Steve was the worst, though. She was always hugging Steve, linking her arm with his, or leaning against him. Bucky would have assumed there was something going on between them, but the more he watched, he realized there was nothing romantic about the way they interacted. They were simply very good friends who happened to be very touchy-feely.

As tactile as Darcy was, however, he never expected that to extend to her interactions with him. No one touched him.

He probably should've known from that hug when they first met, however, that Darcy wasn't about to set up any boundaries between herself and another person, even him. Once again, he'd underestimated her. It seemed she couldn’t walk by him without touching his arm or ruffling his hair, and she always made sure he saw or heard her coming so he wouldn’t be caught unaware. At first these casual touches took him by surprise. He simply wasn’t used to it.

After a while though, her nonchalance about touching him seemed to rub off. He began expecting her soft caresses, even leaning into them at times. She would walk by and touch his shoulder and he’d have to catch himself from preening at the contact. Darcy Lewis was slowly worming her way into Bucky’s life. The thing that caught him by surprise was not just the touching, but the fact that she didn’t flinch away from the scariest part of him-- his arm. Bucky knew what his arm represented to people, it was a physical sign of his _otherness_ , a lasting remnant of his time as a Hydra weapon. That arm had killed and maimed countless people, toppled regimes, brought entire countries to their knees. But it seemed as though Darcy Lewis had no clue about it.

He decided one day that he needed to broach the subject with her. He’d been watching her make cupcakes in the kitchen and she’d made a really bad pun that she seemed incredibly proud of. She turned around, right hand raised for a high five. Bucky gently slapped his metal palm against hers and she turned back to the oven. Bucky frowned down at his arm, it wasn’t the first time she’d willingly touched his left arm, but it never failed to take him by surprise.

He spoke softly, “Has anyone told you about me?” Darcy glanced over her shoulder, frowning, “Uhh. Told me what?” He paused, formulating his thoughts, “About me. About the Winter Soldier. The things I did.”

Darcy froze, setting down the bowl she was holding. She slowly turned around and stared at him, “I know enough. Why are you asking?” Bucky avoided her intense gaze, “I don’t know. You never seem to be afraid of me, I wasn’t sure if anyone told you about me.”

She stared at him, strange look on her face, before shaking her head, “Well, I’m not afraid of you. I see no reason to be. You haven’t hurt a soul since you’ve been here, so why would I fear you? The man who did those things? The _Winter Soldier_? It may have been you, but it wasn’t _you_.” She paused, “I was there when Steve brought you here, I was there when you were in the medbay, I _know_ plenty. I know all about what Hydra did to you, what they had you do, but more than anything I know that you’re Bucky Barnes. You’re my friend, you would never hurt me. And your past is just that, your past. Why would I want to keep reminding you of it?”

With that, she turned back to her baking preparations, changing the subject to chatter on about some prank Clint had played on Tony. Bucky was only half listening though, he was still a little in shock. He would never have expected someone would say something like that to him, and yet she actually seemed to mean it.

She’d tossed the words at him as if they meant nothing to her, as if they were painfully obvious and Bucky was stupid to have asked in the first place. Her easy words had lodged in Bucky’s chest. He was overwhelmed by a rush of affection for the girl and he decided to make it his mission-- no, wait, he didn’t use that word anymore, it would be his honor to protect her. To make sure no harm came to one of the few people who were unshakably on his side.


	3. Chapter 3

In the medbay, they loaded Darcy up on painkillers. Like, the really good stuff. She was all floaty and the world looked hazy and weird. She remembered hugging everyone goodbye, and walking (with a little help from Natasha) to the quinjet. Natasha explained that they were going into stealth mode to fly out of the city where she and Bucky would exit, then getting a car to travel to the safehouse, which Natasha could now tell her wasn’t really a safehouse, per se.

Apparently Mr. Clint Barton had a vacation home of sorts. Although she so would not have pegged him as a farm kinda guy.

Darcy just sat back, digesting this new information and enjoying the looseness she was feeling from the drugs. When Natasha determined they’d traveled enough, they landed in a field. Bucky left the aircraft and returned about ten minutes later in a nondescript SUV. Natasha walked Darcy to the backseat, where she helped her get buckled in while Bucky grabbed their things.

The effects of the drugs had started to wear off, the fact that Natasha was leaving her also helping to sober her up. This was it, she was about to be shipped off to a secret archer farm house for an indeterminate amount of time, and dammit, she was gonna miss Nat. Darcy put on a brave face and hugged her friend, thanking her again for everything.

Natasha paused before closing the door, she pulled out a phone and gave it to Darcy, “Here. We can’t let you take your phone, too easy to track. This is untraceable. If you need anything, and I mean anything, call me. My number’s in there, so’s Clint’s, Steve’s, Tony’s, everyone’s. If there’s a moment where you feel even the tiniest bit unsafe, call one of us.”

There was an unspoken warning in Natasha’s words, Darcy could guess that she was trying to warn her about Bucky. Not that that was an issue, Darcy trusted Bucky implicitly. She’d meant it that one time when she told him she wasn’t afraid of him. And she knew the team trusted him too, they absolutely did, but as they’d seen him in action, there was always a fear in the back of their minds that the Winter Soldier would make an appearance. That, and they were wildly overprotective.

Darcy swore to Natasha that she would be careful and call if she was needed. She watched as the redhead walked back to the jet, where a few moments later it lifted off and flickered from view.

It was already dark and Bucky seemed to be taking backroads and looping backwards, following no sort of path that made sense. She lay her head back and let herself think over the day’s events. After driving for a while, Bucky slowed down and pulled off the main road down a slightly overgrown dirt path. Darcy sat up and tried to see where they were in the moonlight. Soon the path opened up to a field, and there in front of them was a farmhouse and a barn. Bucky drove into the open door of the barn and turned off the car.

He grabbed his gun and looked at Darcy in the rearview mirror, “I’m going to do a sweep of the perimeter and through the house. I need you to stay here and wait for me. I’m gonna leave you a pistol and if anyone other than me comes in here, you shoot, ok? Shoot first, ask questions later.” Darcy agreed, she thought he was probably being a little dramatic, but she’d do as he said. He placed the gun on the seat beside her and got out, “Be careful, Bucky.” He paused and nodded, slipping out of the barn.

Sitting there in a darkened barn in the middle of nowhere waiting on her former assassin friend to check and make sure no one was sneaking around ready to kill her made her a little nervous, Darcy wasn’t ashamed to admit. She could hear muffled nature sounds from outside and she forced her imagination to refrain from making the probably completely innocuous sounds into something more sinister.

By the time Bucky made it back to the car, Darcy’s nerves were shot. He must have heard the relief in her voice when she said his name, “Is everything ok?” “Yeah, yeah. Just, nature, you know? Lots of noises. But, yeah, I’m good.” Bucky frowned, giving her a slightly confused and worried look. He probably thought she had a head injury the way she was babbling.

She climbed out of the SUV, wincing at the various aches and pains she hadn’t felt while sitting still. It was definitely time for another painkiller. Bucky grabbed their things and Darcy followed him out of the barn and towards the farmhouse. It was then that Darcy got her first proper look at the property. The moon was almost full and lit up the yard and the front of the house. It looked old and kinda ragged, but she could see that someone had kept it from falling into complete disrepair. _So, this must be where Clint disappears to when he starts getting stressed,_ Darcy thought.

They walked into the farmhouse where Bucky had already turned on a small lamp. In the low light, Darcy took in the living room, small, simple, but homey. There was a couch facing the fireplace and a huge bookshelf beside the couch. Darcy ran her fingers over the dusty titles, _Guess I’ll have something to keep myself occupied during my exile._

Bucky followed behind as she wandered through the farmhouse, taking in the kitchen and dining room before heading upstairs to look at the bedrooms. “Which room do you want?” Darcy jumped at Bucky’s voice, he hadn’t spoken since they’d come inside. “It doesn’t matter.” Bucky nodded, carrying her bags into one of the rooms, “This one is safer. And I can get here easily from across the hall.”

Darcy followed him into the room, it was covered in yellow wallpaper with tiny green vines and the bed was covered in a green quilt. It looked surprisingly clean, like someone had just made it. Bucky must have seen the question in her eyes, “Yeah, Clint made sure it was all set up. Said it might be a little dusty, but it was clean.”

She felt her heart warm at the thought of the archer, “Who knew Clint Barton had a farmhouse? I feel like that’s the punchline of a very bad joke.” Bucky let out a rough laugh, “Yeah, I guess the guy’s full of surprises.”

He set her things down on the chair in the corner and stood to look around the room. He looked like he wanted to say something, but shook his head, “The bathroom’s next door if you wanna shower or something. When you’re done, come downstairs and I’ll fix us some food.” Darcy let out a relieved sigh, “Oh my god, a shower. That sounds positively heavenly. Thank you, Bucky.”  He didn’t respond before stalking across the hall.

He seemed to be in a weird mood, a distant, nervous energy about him, the way he was when he first arrived at the Tower. Darcy decided it must be because he was in a new place and that once he’d discovered it was safe there, he’d calm down. She dug through her bag for some clean clothes and went into the bathroom.

She started the shower and stood under the hot spray, washing the grime from earlier off her body and out of her hair. Once she was clean, the events of the day seemed to catch up to her and she sank down to sit against the cold porcelain of the tub. Her body wracked with sobs as all of the fear she’d pushed down finally rose to the surface. She could still be stuck in that dingy room, having the crap beat out of her by Hydra goons. She could be dead. She could be dead in that room and her friends would have no clue until it was too late.

She thought back to one night when she and Tony had gotten drunk in his lab. They’d both had crappy days and when he’d pulled out his secret lab stash of booze, she’d just sat down and joined him. They’d talked for hours and eventually he’d told her about his time in Afghanistan. She’d watched the news reports and knew the facts, but hearing the details had taken Darcy by surprise.

Tony, who was always ready with a  joke or insult, gave her a glimpse of the man inside. How scared he’d been, how utterly terrified at his circumstances, how guilty at the legacy he’d created. She could see how it had shaped him into the man he now was, the man she knew to be kind and generous under all of the braggadocio and swagger. The man who would move heaven and earth for the people he cared about. And now, for the first time in her life, she had the tiniest inkling of what he must have gone through. A sliver of the fear he must have experienced.

She felt a rush of affection for her friend, as her mind slipped back to that room and him softly asking if she was ok. God, she’d been so glad to see him, to see all of them. She’d really been so scared. Remembering her rescue brought a fresh wave of tears.

She was laying there, still crying, when she heard Bucky’s voice, “Darcy? Are you ok? I knocked but you didn’t answer.” His voice had a worried, frantic quality she’d never heard. She tried to speak through her hiccuping sobs, but nothing came out. “Darcy, baby, I need you to talk to me. Say something. Are you ok?” She took a few gulps of air and looked at the ceiling, willing herself to calm down enough to speak in a shaky, gasping voice, “I’m fine. I’m fine. Just had a little freakout. I’m fine.”

She could hear him moving and she peeked around the curtain to see him cautiously sitting down on the floor by the tub, his back to her. She found that his presence calmed her to a point where she could speak, “I really am fine. It just all hit me at once. I was so scared.” Her voice broke and she could see his body tense.

She took a steadying breath, “I’ve never been through anything like that, even in New Mexico and London I had Jane and Erik and Thor. Even if I died, I knew they were there. But this… I was all alone. I was just so scared. And then, they all showed up and rescued me and now you’re here taking care of me and I’m so grateful. It’s just very overwhelming. But I am ok. Or I will be ok.” He stared ahead, “I know. You are stronger than anyone gives you credit for.”

She let out a small laugh, “I’m gonna pretend you didn’t just imply that everyone thinks I’m a weakling.”

“That’s not what I meant. People just underestimate you. I did, and I was wrong. You’re one of the strongest people I know.” If she hadn’t been so close to him, she probably wouldn’t have heard the last part. She lay her head down beside his on the edge of the  tub and whispered, “Thank you.”

He nodded and she watched as he stood up and walked from the room. She finally stood and turned off the now chilly water, drying off and slipping into a t-shirt and sleep shorts. She padded downstairs to see that Bucky had stoked a fire and was crouched down in front of it, “I warmed up some food for you in the kitchen. There’s water in the fridge.”

Looking around the kitchen, she gave a little shoutout to Clint and his sneaky spy ways for having actual food here waiting on them. She would definitely lay off the pranking a little bit when they got back to the Tower and things were back to normal. Only a little bit, though. He needed to stay on his toes.

She grabbed the plate of food and a bottle of water and left the kitchen to sit on the couch. Bucky stayed in his position facing the fire and didn’t say anything to her. She was curious what was running through his head, but knew that if he wanted her to know he’d say something and if he didn’t? Well, no amount of nagging would make him talk.

So instead she ate her food, and when the painkillers started making her woozy she kissed Bucky on the top of his head and headed upstairs to her room. She knew he was acting weird, but there was something really bothering her that she couldn’t quite put a finger on. It wasn’t until she was drifting off to sleep that she realized what it was-- Bucky hadn’t looked at her once since they’d arrived at the farmhouse.

*****

Once Bucky got settled in the Tower, it didn’t take long for Darcy to claim him as one of her own. Just like she’d done with Jane and Thor, and later all the rest of them, Darcy drew Bucky into her life.

They discovered that they genuinely enjoyed each other’s company. They bonded over baked goods and How It’s Made. He joined her in pranking Tony and Clint. She, along with Steve, helped him when he had a setback in his adjustment to his new life. Somehow, they became important to each other. And Darcy wouldn’t admit it aloud, but there was a tiny part of her that had fallen in love with Bucky.

She loved spending time with him, loved how he could make her laugh, loved the way he looked at her and the way it made her feel. If there was ever a sense of awkwardness or tension between them, it all traced back to one moment.

Tony had thrown a party for, well it didn’t matter, Tony rarely needed a reason to throw a party. Tony had thrown a party and they were all hanging out, drinking, having a good time. Most of the team had gotten involved in a competitive game of poker and they were all enjoying watching Tony bet, and subsequently lose, more and more things. He’d just lost a car to Natasha when he finally folded, mumbling about spies and their sneaky cheating ways.

Soon after, everyone drifted back to their rooms, while Darcy and Bucky remained in the common area. They sat on the couch, huddled together, Darcy in a relaxed alcohol haze, and Bucky content for the first time in a while. When Darcy began nodding off in his arms, Bucky picked her up and carried her upstairs to her room.

At her door, he placed her on her feet, leaning against the wall. She looked up at him sleepily, booping him on the nose and breaking into a fit of giggles. She was drunk and relaxed and deliriously happy.

Bucky just grinned and held on to her gently, all under the pretext of keeping her steady on her feet, “I do believe you are drunk, dollface.” She beamed at him, “Nonsense. I’m perfectly sober.” A declaration that was slightly undermined by a little hiccup.

He raised an eyebrow, “Oh, ok. My mistake.” She nodded seriously, “I forgive you, Bucky. We all make mistakes.” He pushed back a lock of hair that had fallen into her face, “Well, I thank you for being so understanding, Darce.”

Suddenly the air felt thick and charged, the way it felt when Thor was riled up about something and was about to start a storm. But it was just the two of them. Darcy licked her lips, smirking when she saw Bucky’s eyes dart down to look at them, “I am a very understanding person, Bucky. It’s one of my best qualities.”

She gazed at him a moment and then, gathering all of her drunken little courage, stood on her tiptoes and fell against him, pressing her mouth against his. It was a relatively chaste kiss, just a warm pressure of their lips together. Darcy could have sworn Bucky leaned into it, but a moment later, she felt him tense up. She took that as her sign that she’d probably pushed too far, so she stepped back, pasting a lighthearted smile on her face.

A furrow appeared between Bucky’s eyebrows as he seemed to be debating something. He must have figured it out, because he then asked JARVIS to open the door and he led Darcy inside. She pulled away from him and stumbled into her bedroom, shucking off clothes as she went, returning to the living room a minute later clad in a baggy shirt she’d stolen from Thor. It covered all the important bits, but the hem landed at the top of her thigh.

When Bucky spotted what she was wearing, he made a beeline towards the door like he was late for something. He threw a quick, “Goodnight, Darce,” over his shoulder. Darcy just shrugged and turned back to climb into bed. The next day when she woke up, she remembered their kiss and groaned into the pillow.

She’d let her guard down and given in to her desire and planted one on him, only to have him show that he clearly wasn’t interested. Which was fine, whatever. She decided her best bet would be to pretend it never happened, write it off as a drunken mistake. Apparently, they’d both had this idea, because they never spoke of it again.

It wasn’t one of those elephant-in-the-room type things, where every interaction they had from that point on was tainted by their kiss. They didn’t not speak of it out a sense of self-preservation, they just didn’t realize that the kiss meant as much to the other as it did to them.

Darcy assumed Bucky had brushed it off as a drunken girl’s mistake and Bucky assumed that Darcy was too drunk to realize or remember what she’d done. So, they didn’t speak of it. They didn’t know it, but they both thought about that kiss a lot. They didn’t let it ruin the present moment, but it was something that came into their minds when they least expected it.

Bucky would look at Darcy while she was plotting a prank, her lip between her teeth to keep from giggling, and he’s be struck by the memory of her lips against his, the way her breath brushed over his mouth. Or Darcy would be watching Bucky chat with Steve and he’d run his hand through his hair, and she’d follow the movement of his arm, thinking back to the way he’d held her so firmly yet so gently. Whenever this would happen, they’d both be hit by a rush of affection for the other, as well as an urge to do some more kissing.


	4. Chapter 4

After Bucky had been in the Tower a while, Tony finally got his hands on him. Well, his arm, anyway. Bucky got the Stark treatment, Tony recalibrated Bucky's arm, upgraded all the wiring and external hardware to a lighter-weight metal and polished it all up. Not only that, but Tony created a glove that Bucky could slip over his arm that looked and felt like skin, so whenever the time came when Bucky felt ready to venture out of the Tower, he could do so without attracting any unwanted attention. And, since Hydra wasn't aware where exactly he was, this was very important.

Bucky had slipped on the glove before leaving the Tower with Darcy. Best not attract any more attention than was necessary. Darcy felt bad because she knew Bucky didn't like wearing it any longer than he had to, as it was constricting and suffocating. Which was why now, on their first morning at the farmhouse, Darcy caught herself staring at Bucky's glove-clad arm in confusion.

She knew that Bucky had showered that morning, his hair was still wet and since he didn't wear the glove in the shower she was completely thrown off. Surely he didn't put the glove back on after his shower. Right? She absentmindedly stirred her cereal while watching him pour his coffee. "Bucky, why are you wearing your glove?" He paused briefly, then with forced nonchalance he answered, "No reason."

Darcy felt a heaviness growing in her chest as she tried to figure out what was going on. She had a suspicion and if it were true she was gonna be sick. "Bucky."

"What, Darce?" He refused to look at her and she put her spoon down, suddenly not very hungry.

“Bucky, look at me.” And for the first time since they’d exited the car the night before, Bucky looked at her. She saw a swirl of emotions in his eyes and it sent a pang of worry through her.

Darcy spoke slowly, "Are you wearing it because of me?" Silence. "Why?"

She thought he might not answer her, but then he lowered his head and spoke in a soft voice, "I just thought it would be better for you, make you more comfortable." Darcy let out the breath she didn’t realize she was holding, "What would make you think that your arm makes me uncomfortable?"

He turned back around again, "It makes everyone uncomfortable."

"I'm not everyone!" Darcy snapped. Bucky didn't respond. "When have I ever led you to believe that you had to change anything about yourself for me? Never, because I don't feel that way. That’s bullshit, and you know it. Bucky, I know there are people out there who won't be able to look past the arm or the 'Winter Soldier' or your past, but I am not them. I've never looked at you like that, never treated you like I am afraid of you or like any part of you disgusts me. Because it doesn't. I told you before that I wasn’t afraid of you, and I meant it. And the fact that you think you have to shelter me from yourself, any part of yourself- _that_ does make me very uncomfortable."

Bucky just stood at the counter, looking down, not moving. "This arm has done terrible things, Darce. It’s a weapon. I wouldn't blame you for being disgusted by it, because you should be."

"Fuck you, Bucky. Don't patronize me. I know enough about your past to know why you may hate that part of yourself. But let me be quite clear, I don't. You went through some unbelievably bad shit and if that arm is the reason you are here today, then it may be my favorite part of you. I'm not afraid of you. I'm not disgusted by you. I think you are a wonderful person who went through hell and survived. And no, I haven't been through anything close to that, but you cannot treat me like a stupid little child. It’s not fair." With that, Darcy stood up and stormed out of the kitchen, heading upstairs and closing her door.

She sat down on the bed, fuming. How dare he treat her like that? Like, she was afraid of him, like she needed protecting? And from him, of all people? She’d meant it when she said she trusted him. She lay back, looking at the ceiling. What really bothered her was that that was the way he saw himself. Like he was someone she needed to be protected from.

She heard the door close downstairs and went to look out the window. She watched as Bucky walked to the edge of the woods and began his sweep of the perimeter. Her hot anger cooled a bit at this, he was trying to protect her, keep her safe. She couldn’t fault him for that, even if he was going about it in the entirely wrong way.

Didn’t mean she wasn’t still furious with him. Not to mention a little hurt. She shook her head, forcing herself to stop analyzing the situation. Satisfied that he’d be outside for a little while, she slipped downstairs. She grabbed a book off the shelf and settled down on the couch to do some reading.

They barely spoke the rest of the day, and when they did, they were excessively polite, “Yes, that’s fine.” “No, I’m alright.” “Yes, please.” “Excuse me.” None of their easy friendship was there, and Darcy worried.

She’d never had to walk on eggshells around Bucky, never wanted to treat him like a china doll, but there she was doing just that. Of course she realized she was only following him, taking his cue of pretending that this is how they treated one another. Naturally, she was miserable. She wasn’t sure what she did, or if she did anything. All she knew was that Bucky was treating her like a stranger, determined to keep his distance.

The next ten days followed this pattern, them occasionally eating meals together, making small talk, and spending the rest of their days apart. It was a horrible ten days. Bucky usually stalked around outside, spending time in the barn or chopping wood or creeping through the woods. Darcy usually stayed inside, reading or snooping through Clint’s house. What? She was bored. Occasionally she would lounge around on the porch or drag a blanket out under the tree in the front yard to do some reading.

After the first week, while Bucky was out on a supply run, Darcy’s phone rang. She had taken to carrying it with her, but it had never so much as beeped before. She stared dumbly at the phone sitting on the couch beside her for a second before answering, “Hello?”

“Darce.” Darcy let out a sigh of relief to hear Steve’s voice. “Steve! Oh my god, how are you? What’s going on? Is everyone ok? Does everyone miss me? I am absolutely bored to tears! When can I come home?”

Steve gave a little chuckle, “Whoa. Calm down. One question at a time. I’m fine. Everyone’s fine, just wanted to check in on you. We’re still tracking down the rest of this cell. We took out two Hydra bases, and we are doing surveillance on two more. We think that may be all, though, so it probably won’t be too much longer. You may get to come home soon. And yes, everyone misses you terribly.”

Darcy giggled, “Good. Both on taking down Hydra and everyone missing me. I miss you guys, too. Did I mention that I am bored to tears? I don’t think I was cut out to be a farm girl. I need the internet.”

Steve gave a fond sigh, “I know. I’m sure the internet misses you too. Now, other than being restless, how are you? How’s Bucky?”

Darcy wrinkled her nose, “Ehh, I’m fine. I’m reading a lot. Thank Clint for me for keeping all these dusty books. I’m finally getting to read all these old classics that people go apeshit for. I’m gonna be unstoppable at Jeopardy now. As for your friend, he’s a total jerk and I don’t want to talk about him. He’s alive though, if that answers your question.”

Steve paused, and she could almost _feel_ the frown, “What has he done?” There was a slight thread of tension on his voice when he asked about Bucky, he was probably imagining something horrible. Darcy sighed, “No, it’s nothing like that. It’s just...ugh. He’s probably said five words to me since we got here and, I don’t know. He’s being all weird and distant and it’s just very awkward. I don’t know what’s going on. We make _small talk_ , Steve. You know how much I hate small talk.”

Steve paused, gathering his thoughts, “Darcy, I don’t think it’s you. It’s just… Bucky has a lot of stuff he’s still working through.” Darcy felt a small thrill of anger shoot through her, “I know that, Steve. I’m not asking him to be all hunky-dory, fine with everything. But he’s treating me like I’m _scared_ of him or something. Or like I should be.”

When Steve spoke, his voice was filled with certainty, “Yeah, I get it now,” He took a deep breath before continuing, “Darce, I was there when we told him about you being hurt. That’s the closest I’ve seen him come to the Winter Soldier since D.C. Made me a little nervous, not gonna lie. We knew he was gonna freak out that’s why we didn’t tell him you’d been taken until after we got you back safe. I know how close you two have become and I know what he does for the people he loves. He would’ve torn his way out of the Tower and taken down anyone in his way if he’d known that Assemble order was about you.”

Darcy mulled over what Steve told her, waiting for him to continue. “I saw the rage when he found out you’d been hurt, but when he found out it was Hydra? I haven’t seen that much guilt in his eyes since he first came back. That haunted look he had whenever he uncovered a new memory and started blaming himself for what Hydra made him do, the shame at being connected to them. That was the look he had on his face when he found out it was Hydra. He might as well have hurt you himself, in his eyes.”

Steve sighed, and she could almost picture the pinched look of frustration on his face, “He blames himself, Darcy. In his mind, he led Hydra right to your doorstep, handed you over on a silver platter.”

Darcy frowned, “But he’s gotta know that’s not true, right? I mean, no one would think that. I don't.”

“I know you don’t. He probably knows it, too. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t all twisted up in guilt.”

Darcy felt the hot prick of tears in her eyes as she thought about Steve’s words. “All I’m saying is be patient with him. Lord knows he can be stubborn as hell. Just let him know that you are there for him, all of us are. He’ll be ok, Darce.”

“Maybe you’re right. Thank you, Steve. For everything, really.”

She heard the teasing tone return to his voice, “No problem. You can show your thanks when you get back by baking me one of those cakes I like so much.”

Darcy laughed, “You got it. A whole cake, all yours, you won’t even have to share. Although I fear if I show my thanks to you with baked goods, Tony and Thor and the rest of them will want in on the action. I’ll never leave the kitchen again.”

Steve laughed, “You may be the only one upset by that. Tony’ll probably install an oven in the lab so you can bake while you’re working.”

“No! Do not give him any ideas! And anyway, Jane would just disassemble it for parts.”

“Probably.” He sighed, “We really do miss you, Darce. Tower’s not the same without you.” Darcy felt a grin cover her face, “Good, let that be your motivation to get out there and kill those Nazis so I can come home.” _Home_ , a word Darcy never thought she’d use to describe that Tower and the people inside it. But it was the only word that sat right on her tongue when she thought about them.

“Yes, ma’am. I’m gonna go now, I’ll try to call back in a day or two. Stay safe and don’t let Bucky push you out. He really does care for you, even if he’s being an idiot about it.”

“Ok. You all be safe, too. Keep everyone in one piece.” The lightness in her voice belied the worry she felt over her friends, but she was sure Steve could hear it anyway. “Will do. Bye Darce. Tell Bucky hey for me.”

“Will do. Bye Steve.” She ended the call and let her head fall back against the couch. This was a sucky situation for everyone and maybe she wasn’t putting in enough effort. She wasn’t the only one who’d been hurt by her kidnapping.

She marched into the kitchen and rifled through the cabinets until she found everything she needed, thanking Clint once again for having actual food in his cabinets. It wasn’t long before she had a batch of cookies baking in the oven, an _‘I’m sorry, let’s stop this weirdness and be friends again.’_ of sorts.

She’d just pulled them out of the oven when Bucky returned. The look on his face was so worth it. There was a light in his eyes Darcy hasn’t seen since they got to the farmhouse and he finally lost some of the heaviness in his shoulders. He brought in the grocery bags and began putting the things away.

He gazed at Darcy as she plated up some cookies for him and set them on the kitchen island before pouring him a glass of milk. She leaned against the counter and stared at him. He stared back a moment, then gestured to the plate of cookies, “These for me?” She nodded.

“Any particular reason? You didn’t poison ‘em, did you?” She smirked, “Probably not. Only one way to find out.”

He nodded and started eating, a faint grin on his face. One of the things Bucky had rediscovered after returning to himself was that he had a major sweet tooth, especially for chocolate chip cookies. When he’d been growing up, they were a special treat, and as such, he had nothing but good memories associated with them. And for a man who had bad memories associated with so many things, he had learned to enjoy the good ones.

She watched as he finished the cookies and leaned back against the island, gazing right back at her. Something in his demeanor had changed, he was less anxious, more open. Darcy thought that he probably recognized the cookies as a what they were, a peace offering. “Anything in particular put you in the baking mood?”

Darcy glanced to the floor and took a deep breath, “I’ve been informed that I may have been harder on you than I should’ve. That maybe I owe you an apology. So, I’m sorry. Hence the cookies.”

She looked up at Bucky and saw him raise an eyebrow in confusion. “Steve called earlier. And I was complaining about, well, everything. Anyway, I told him about this,” she gestured between them, “weirdness between us. How you won’t look at me or speak to me and how much I hate it. I really hate it, Bucky. I thought that you just didn’t wanna be here. Maybe that you thought I was stupid or weak for getting myself in the situation in the first place. I just... I assumed it was you being upset at me and the circumstances I got us into. Not that I would blame you, you didn’t sign on for babysitting duty.”

She ignored the frown on his face at her words, “So, anyway I talked to Steve and he mentioned something I hadn’t considered. He brought up the point that you may possibly think you’re somehow to blame for what happened to me. Because it was Hydra.” She could see him closing off, getting defensive and she held her hand out in his direction, a physical plea for him to stay and listen. “He says that you blame yourself for a lot of what they’ve done and that you maybe, might feel like this was all your fault.”

The clench in his jaw all but confirmed this to Darcy. She nodded, “I think he hit the nail on the head. You know that’s not the truth, that no one blames you. Certainly not me. I’ve said it a million times, I’ll say it a million more; you are not their weapon anymore, and you’re not to blame for any of their actions. You’re as much a victim of Hydra as anyone. More so.”

Darcy took a deep breath and looked away, bracing for the road she was about to lead the conversation down, “Has anyone told you about Ian?” She heard the sharp intake of breath and saw his fists clench in her peripheral vision. “Your ex-boyfriend, the undercover Hydra operative.” He said it tonelessly, but there was a river of malice flowing beneath his words.

She gave a quick nod, “Him. Although he wasn’t really my boyfriend. A few end-of-the-world makeouts does not a boyfriend make. Y’know, not to mention the whole being a Hydra mole thing.” She tried to make a joke to cover the pain, an action that felt all too familiar to her. Not even Jane was aware of just how hurt she was when she found out about Ian.

Darcy made sure to lock up every nasty emotion she had experienced because of that situation. Maybe she and Bucky had more in common after all.

She frowned, “It was his ‘interning’ that told Hydra all about Jane’s work. So really, if anyone is at fault for all this, it’s me. I not only led the wolf to our doorstep, I invited him in and fed him.” She could feel the tears building up so she took a deep breath and smiled a smile full of false bravado, “What I’m trying to say, is that there’s no way I could blame you for what happened, because I already blame myself.”

Bucky took in her trembling body, watery eyes, and defeated voice and something in him broke. He had thought that pulling away from her was the best for everyone involved, but it seemed he’d only made things worse. He wanted to crawl inside her mind and beat away the demons she was fighting, fully aware he had his own he couldn’t defeat.

He stepped forward to tentatively touch her shoulder, and his voice was soft, “Dorogaya.” She looked up at his approach, startled to see that the guarded look in his eyes had disappeared. The air took on a spiky quality as they watched each other.

In a fluid movement, Bucky stepped into her space and wrapped her into his arms, hesitating only a moment before crushing his lips against hers. It was a kiss full of emotion, a kiss weighted with every moment of sexual tension they’d ever had. A kiss that each of them, unbeknownst to the other, had wanted for a very long time. A kiss that could start something neither of them expected.

Their tongues clashed, and Darcy could taste the chocolate from the cookies, as well as something that was undeniably _Bucky_. He pressed against her and soon she bumped into the countertop, flush against his body. Darcy could feel a shiver go through her at the contact and made a tiny mewling sound into Bucky’s mouth.

Something about the sound caught his attention, though. It was as if he had lost himself in the kiss and suddenly realized just what he was doing. He froze, tearing his mouth away from hers.

When he pulled away, he gazed at her with a look that a more optimistic part of her might dare to call love. Then, in an instant, it was gone and that shuttered look was back again. He might as well have been a million miles away. She so longed to chase away the fear and guilt within him that would not allow him to be happy, because she knew with a blinding flash of unshakable certainty, that they would be amazing together. That they were meant for this, that every crazy thing that ever happened to them was just a catalyst that sent them to one another, to this moment.

But then he frowned and shook his head, a soft “Sorry,” falling from his lips. She stared ahead, slightly breathless, and said, “You don’t have to apologize. That was… fine. That was.. good...yeah. _Good_. We’re good.”

He took a step back, then another before turning away from her. He stopped at the door, brows still furrowed, and opened his mouth to speak. He looked like he was trying to put his thoughts into words, but he gave up and mumbled something about checking the perimeter again.

Darcy watched as he left the house, eyes wide. She ran her fingers over her lips, wondering at the way he felt against her, how she could still taste him.

He didn't return for hours, seemingly endless hours that saw Darcy make their dinner, eat her portion, shower, and find an old pack of playing cards to play some solitaire. She wondered where he was and what he was thinking, if he was running that moment in the kitchen over and over through his head like she was. She peered through the windows upstairs to see if she could catch a glimpse of him in the trees, or by the barn, or in any of the countless other places an ex-assassin might hide, but she saw nothing.

She gave up, determined to stop thinking about him and his lips and threw herself into her card game. She was winning, as if that was any sort of consolation. When he returned to the house, it was already dark. She didn’t hear him enter at all, it was only when she heard a shuffle in the kitchen that she knew he was back. She also knew that the sound was made purely for her benefit, he wanted her to know that he was there, not be surprised by his sudden appearance. Otherwise, he would have crept through the house as silently as he had crept into it.

This was a remnant of the soldier, a habit that was hard to break. To force himself to become a noisy, demanding thing when for so long that behavior was beaten out of him was a challenge. Darcy knew that Bucky was at his most relaxed when he was being loud and chatty and obnoxious, because a large portion of his life, that was impossible. Silent Bucky upset Darcy in the worst way.

She was thankful for the heads up of his presence, so she stayed in her place in front of the fire, flipping over cards and pretending she didn’t care that he was in the next room. She could feel him come to the doorway of the living room, could feel him staring at her, but when she looked over to him, his eyes had shifted to stare into the fire as if they had never been staring at her at all. She knew better.

She wanted to speak up, to demand to know why he kissed her and when he was going to do it again, but she waited. She knew that pushing him would do no good. She turned back to her card game, feeling his eyes slide back over her. She didn’t know what was going through his head about their kiss. If his mind had decided to regret it or pretend it hadn’t happened or any of a million other possibilities.

She knew how she felt about it, though. It was more than she’d ever dreamed it could be. And she’d dreamed about kissing him a lot. She’d like to do it, in addition to other things, again. She’d like to throw herself in his arms, legs wrapped around his waist and taste him again, but she knew that may not go over too well. _Baby steps, Darcy._

Instead, she gave him a soft, uncomplicated smile, “Did you eat?” He didn’t respond immediately, just looked at her as he walked further into the room, sitting on the couch. She thought he might not answer at all, until she heard a soft, “Yes. Thank you.” She nodded and returned to her card game. Unsurprisingly, she won again and gave a little cheer.

Shuffling the deck, she looked over to him and held up a card, “Wanna play blackjack?” He shrugged, but sat forward on the couch, so Darcy took this as a yes. She shuffled over to sit in front of the coffee table, across from him. As they played their game, whatever was fractured between them began healing. They fell into the familiar pattern of casual conversation and loving insults. It was easy again.

The tension was still there, but a different kind, a _we-kissed-and-maybe-we’ll-do-it-again-who-knows,_ type tension. Surprisingly, Darcy didn’t mind this kind so much. She found that she had missed his voice, the deep gravelly timbre, the smile she could hear when he was making a joke at her expense. The Bucky that wouldn't talk reminded her of his early days in the Tower, when he wasn’t quite himself yet. When getting him to speak was like pulling teeth.

One day a little over a month after Bucky arrived, he and Steve were in the kitchen on the common floor when Darcy came in to make some breakfast. Bucky was sitting at the table, still and quiet as a statue, while Steve was at the stove cooking. “Hey, Darce. Want some breakfast?” Darcy grinned at him, “Morning, Stevie. I would love some. Thank you.” She poured herself a cup of coffee and slid into the seat across from Bucky.

Steve talked to his friend, seemingly unmoved by Bucky’s one word answers. Darcy knew that sometimes Bucky had his good days, where it was just like old times, him full of conversation and sass. But Steve also told her about the bad days, where the most he expected was a nod or mumbled response. This seemed like a bad day.

As Darcy checked her e-mail and scrolled through Twitter, she could see Bucky staring at her out of the corner of her eye. Not bothering to look up, she stuck her tongue out at him, pleased when she saw him frown and look resolutely away from her. After she’d checked all her various social media, Darcy set her phone aside and placed her elbows on the table, staring at Bucky.

At first, he ignored her, engrossed in the wall as he seemed to be. She tilted her head and set it in her hand, determined to get his attention. Steve looked over from his breakfast preparations and saw the standoff at the kitchen table. His face was torn, like he wanted to say something, but probably knew better. Instead, he just sighed and turned back around.

Darcy just grinned. She was certain that Bucky had plenty of people staring at him for all the wrong reasons since he had arrived, and if she were staring at him for one of those reasons, she might be willing to back down. But she was doing this in her own equally stubborn way, determined to draw him out of his little sulk.

After what seemed like forever, but in actuality was probably just a few minutes, Bucky slowly turned his head to face her. His eyes were dark and he was making a face that Darcy was certain was supposed to scare her, but she just continued her one woman staring contest. His eyes narrowed as he clenched his jaw. Darcy just fluttered her eyelashes and shot him her sunniest smile in response.

He tried to look away again, but Darcy let out a dramatic sigh. His head whirled back to her, glaring, “Stop staring at me.”

“No.” She watched as he took a deep breath and leaned forward, obviously trying to intimidate her, “I said, Stop. Staring. At. Me. Now.”

Darcy just arched an eyebrow, “And I said, no. You’re being moody and withdrawn and that shit isn’t gonna fly. So either perk up and be sociable, or I’m gonna keep staring.”

“I could just go back to my room and get away from you.”

Darcy shrugged, “Yeah, you could. But you should know that Clint showed me how to navigate the air vents, so I’ll probably just follow you around and stare even more. I’m like herpes, you can’t get rid of me, dude.”

Steve gave a rough laugh, “She’s got you there, Buck. She’s relentless.”

Bucky glanced back at his friend, then again to Darcy, “Why do you care?”

“I don’t know. You’re Steve’s person, and he’s one of my people, so by extension, you’re one of my people. I don’t like seeing my people sad. And if I have to irritate the sadness out of you, I will. It’s kinda my thing.”

Steve coughed to cover a laugh, he knew as well as anyone how relentless Darcy could be when she was dragging someone out of their self-imposed melancholy. He had never admitted it, but her light heart had kept him from some dark times after the Battle of New York, and later, after D.C. If she was turning her determination on to Bucky, he wasn’t going to stop her. For all he knew, it would probably work.

Bucky was still glaring at her, but there was something else in his eyes now, a curiosity, maybe. She just gave him a broad smile and kept looking at him.

He stared back, but something in him snapped and he broke into laughter, “Steve, you weren’t lying when you said she was something. You didn’t tell me she was gonna hassle me, though.”

Steve laughed, shooting Darcy a grateful smile, “I thought I’d let you figure that one out on your own.” He brought their plates of food over and Darcy finally looked away from Bucky to eat. She could feel Bucky’s eyes on her as ate, even as he was having a full conversation with Steve.

Mouth full of bacon, she shot him a playful glare, “Stop staring at me.” He responded with a snort and a soft kick under the table as Darcy continued her breakfast. From that point on, Darcy let him have the occasional down moment, but for the most part, she demanded that he live a life filled with happiness.

Now, sitting here in Clint’s farmhouse, she thought about how far they’d come. They continued playing cards, staying up later than they had since coming here. The warmth of the fire at her back and the comfort of having her friend back made Darcy drowsy. As she yawned, Bucky shot her a look, “Go to bed, Darcy.”

She narrowed her eyes, trying to hide her sleepy smile, “You can’t tell me what to do.”

He just grinned, “True. But I could always call Steve and tell him, and he’ll make that sad, disappointed face. And you’ll have that on your conscience. Is that what you want?”

Darcy’s lip twitched and she threw up her arms, “Fine. You got me. Let’s go to bed.” She’d meant that in a totally innocent way, but as Bucky’s eyes darkened, she realized just how it sounded. She just arched an eyebrow and stood, ignoring Bucky’s cursory glance of her body. As she passed the couch, she ran her hand over his left shoulder, “Night, Bucky. Sleep tight.” She was halfway up the steps before she heard, “Night, Darce.”


	5. Chapter 5

Darcy woke up with a jolt. She’d been on a street in Greenwich, surrounded by creepy alien elves, they were all around her.

Ian was there, but this time instead of saving her, he was pointing them in her direction. And no matter how fast she ran, more of them came after her, swarming from nowhere. Just as the first wave of elves reached her, she woke up.

Jerking upright, she threw the covers off her body and tried to catch her breath. When she’d calmed down, she crawled out of bed and padded downstairs to get a bottle of water. She stood in front of the open refrigerator, letting the cold air hit her flushed body.

She hadn’t had one of those nightmares in months, but she wasn’t exactly surprised. They always seemed to come out of nowhere, when she least expected it. It was as if they crept around her mind, waiting until she let down her guard. That’s when they’d pop back up. She headed back upstairs, taking care to step over the creaky step, knowing full well that she could be silent and Bucky would probably still hear her.

Her feet had just landed on the top step when she heard a muffled cry coming from Bucky’s room. She froze in place. _Was someone in there? Was he hurt?_ She crept down the hall and knocked softly on his door, “Bucky?” The only sound was another cry. She slowly opened the door, letting the hall light illuminate the room until she could see him thrashing and twisting on the bed. She stepped inside hesitantly, she knew what Steve had told her about Bucky when he had a nightmare.

When he’d first arrived at the Tower, the nightmares were a regular occurrence. He couldn’t escape his demons even in sleep. Steve had always been the one there to rouse him from these horrible dreams and he’d told Darcy of how, in the first moments after he’d woken, Bucky would be somewhere else. He would be stuck in that fight or flight panic, that fierce sense of self-defense. Steve had been injured on more than one occasion and his stories rang through Darcy’s head as she watched Bucky. She knew that Bucky could seriously hurt her, completely by accident, but she couldn’t let him stay in pain like that.

She walked into the room, turning on the lamp on the nightstand so he could see her, “Bucky? Bucky. You need to wake up, you’re having a bad dream.” His movements stilled, his eyes flying open and darting around the room in confusion before landing on her. She put what she hoped was a calm look on her face and spoke softly, “Bucky, it’s me, Darcy. You had a bad dream. You’re safe now, it’s ok.”

He bolted out of bed with an almost supernatural speed, moving to stand in front of her. There was a tense moment, his body towering over her, the two of them in a standoff of sorts, where she didn’t know what he was going to do next. She watched as his eyes cleared as he looked down at her, “Darcy?”

She felt a rush of relief course through her, “Yeah, it’s me. You ok?” He gave a shaky nod, a broken look on his face. Darcy stepped forward to wrap her arms around him, and slowly he returned the embrace. His hands gently patting her hair, stroking down her spine. As they held each other, Darcy could feel Bucky calming down. His heartbeat slowed against her cheek, his arms and shoulders lost the stiffness they’d had since she touched him, and his breathing evened out. She nuzzled into him, rubbing his back.

He pulled back a little, his voice rough, “Thank you. I’m sorry you had to see that.” Darcy just stepped close to him again, “Don’t apologize. It’s ok.” He took a shuddering breath, “I could have hurt you.”

She glared up at him, “But you didn’t. You had a nightmare. It happens. I had one, too.” He looked down at her, concern in his eyes, “You did? Are you alright?”

She just laughed and smacked his arm, “Seriously? You just had, like, a freaking night terror and you’re worried about me? I’m fine.”

Bucky pulled away and walked to the window, staring out at the night. Darcy could see he was still shaken, his eyes were distant and he seemed to be moving without thinking. Darcy looked around the room, unsure of how to fix this. She carried her water bottle over to him and pushed it into his hands, “Here, drink.” He looked down at the bottle for a moment and then brought it up to his lips, his throat moving as he swallowed.

Darcy took the bottle from him and pulled him away from the window and over to the bed. She crawled under the covers and motioned for him to join her. He hesitated, obviously torn over what he should do. “Look, we’ve both had a rough night and I know I’ll sleep better with another person, so just get in. Leave your delicate 40’s sensibilities behind for one night.”

He huffed a soft laugh and scratched the back of his neck. After a moment, he eased into the bed, leaving a few inches between them. Darcy just shifted over and curled against his side, smiling as he hesitantly wrapped an arm around her. That night of sleep was the best Darcy could remember in a very long time.

When Darcy woke, the bed beside her was empty but her nose picked up the scent of cooking bacon wafting up from the kitchen. She padded downstairs and peeked into the kitchen, watching Bucky make breakfast. Never looking back at her, he held up a spatula, “Morning.” Darcy grinned and slipped over to watch him cook, “Bacon and eggs? This is better than the usual cereal. Smells good.” He shot her a soft smile, “I was hungry.”

She touched his arm and walked around him to pour herself some coffee. He brought a plate over to where she was sitting and sat down across from her with his own. Darcy chattered on while she ate, glad to see that Bucky was in a good mood, talking to her and responding like he hadn’t since they got to the farmhouse. He must have had a good night’s sleep too.

After they ate, Bucky excused himself to check the perimeter, but Darcy was surprised when he returned less than a half hour later. She grabbed her book and blanket, “Wanna come sit outside with me?” Bucky nodded and followed her. They settled under Darcy’s favorite tree, Darcy laying down to read and Bucky leaning against the tree, always watching their surroundings.

It was the best day they’d had since coming here, Darcy would even say it’s one of her best days ever. Sure, they were stuck on a farm in the middle of nowhere, _with no internet_ , and yet Darcy was content. She had Bucky, and he’d finally let his guard down again, let her back in.

That night, Darcy got ready for bed, feeling a sliver of fear as she thought about the previous night’s dream. She was sure it wouldn’t happen again, she rarely had them two nights in a row, but still she worried. After an hour of laying in the dark, staring at the ceiling, Darcy threw off her covers and paced the room. The walls started to feel like they were closing in on her so she walked into the hallway.

She stopped at Bucky’s door, raising a hand to knock before deciding she didn’t want to disturb him. She’d just turned to walk downstairs, when the door flew open and Bucky stood looking at her. “Sorry, I just...I couldn’t sleep. I’m gonna go sit downstairs for awhile. Sorry if I woke you.” He stared at her for a moment and then stepped to the side, a movement Darcy took to be an invitation.

She walked past him and sat crosslegged in his bed. Bucky faced her and then carefully sat down beside her. He looked at her, eyebrow raised, waiting for her to tell him what was wrong. “I had a nightmare last night, you know? I’ve gotten them since New Mexico, but they got worse after London. Sometimes I have trouble getting to sleep for a couple days after I have one. I’m afraid that if I close my eyes, that’s all I’ll see.”

Bucky frowned, and nodded his head, “That happens to me, too.”

Darcy reached over and wrapped her hand around his, “Yep, it sucks. I didn’t mean to wake you up, though.”

Bucky looked down at their hands, “You didn’t wake me up. I couldn’t sleep either.” He took a deep breath and continued, “You could stay here, if you want.” She heard something in his voice that made her think that he wanted her there, that maybe her presence the night before had helped him, just as his had helped her.

She just gave him a nod and a smile and shimmied under the blankets. He chuckled, “You don’t waste any time, do you?” She just grinned at him as he lay down next to her, “Nope, my motto in life is to always be as comfortable as possible.” She saw the fond smile on his face as he lay on his side, facing her.

Now that she was safe in his room, in his bed, Darcy felt all of the worry and stress leave her body. Something about his presence was incredibly soothing to her. He must have seen her relax, because the tension in his jaw left and was replaced with the ghost of a smile. She gave him a cheeky grin and reached out to poke him gently on the chest, “Look at you, I think I’ve almost got you domesticated.”

He covered his grin with a stern glare and grabbed her, rubbing her wrist with his thumb. Darcy just watched him, feeling his hand touching hers. Something in the air shifted and Darcy felt her heart beat just a little faster. His eyes had that dark quality like they did a few days earlier in the kitchen, right before he kissed her. Darcy licked her lips, his eyes tracking down to watch her mouth.

It hit her that this was one of those now or never moments, and Darcy wasn’t one to let a moment slip away. She leaned up and pressed her lips to his, shifting her body closer. She felt Bucky hesitate, his hand moving from hers and coming up to cup her neck. She pulled away a fraction of an inch, their breaths mingling in the tiny space. His eyes were dark with want, but she could see the doubt within them.

She placed her hand against his chest, fingers playing at the curve of his throat, “If you’re uncomfortable, we can stop. But don’t stop because of me. It’s ok, this could be a good thing.” He swallowed and traced the side of her face with his hand, “I want to, but- Promise me you’ll stop if it’s too much.” Darcy nodded, “Promise.”

His jaw stiffened and he leaned forward, kissing her with a renewed sense of purpose. Their bodies pressed together, his hard lines meeting her soft curves. She felt that familiar ache in her core, and the bolts of electricity that seemed to course through her body at every stroke of Bucky’s hands. He rolled over on top of her, exploring every hill and valley with his hands, his tongue, Darcy herself getting to feel the ridges of his muscles, the firm planes of skin, the cool metal of his arm.

Every time her hand brushed over one of the scars left by Hydra, her mind cursed the monsters who had hurt this man. This man who was touching her so delicately, so lovingly. Her body was on fire and soon they found themselves discarding their pajamas, bare skin pressed to bare skin. He gave her a final glance for permission, kissing her gently as he slid into her.

Darcy could feel her body shift to accommodate him, sex had never before felt so right than in this moment. There wasn’t a sliver of doubt in her mind about this. As Bucky looked into her eyes, she could see a tender look, full of wonder, and she knew that what she felt for him was so much bigger than she’d ever imagined it could be. Darcy arched her hips, her body meeting his, her heart pounding and breathing heavy. She came with a shudder that rushed through her body, a wild release. He followed soon after, collapsing against her.

Afterwards, they lay tangled together in the sheets, Bucky playing with Darcy’s hair as she nuzzled against his chest. Darcy could feel him shake with a soft chuckle. She looked up at him with a grin, “What are you laughing about, mister?” He smiled at her, “That’s the first time I’ve had sex in over seventy years.”

Darcy grimaced, “Uhh, yuck. That sounds so creepy when you say it like that.”

Bucky laughed, ruffling her hair, “Oh, you kids nowadays, always disrespectin’ your elders.” She stuck out her tongue at him and tweaked his nipple, “Hush, you old geezer.”

She paused, suddenly looking at him shyly, “So, was it everything you remember?”

Bucky kissed her forehead, “Better.”

His voice softened as he looked up at the ceiling, “Kinda thought that part of my life was over.”

Darcy lay back against his chest and softly shook her head, “Nope. Not if you don’t want it to be over.”

If she’d been looking at Bucky’s face, she would have seen the adoration and awe that he felt in that moment. He looked down at her, the woman who had given him back a part of himself he never expected to have again, the woman who fought for him, the woman who took him in even with all the darkness he had inside, and he was speechless. Nothing had prepared him for this feeling that had grown in him towards her as she’d stolen her way into his life.

He just took a deep breath and pulled her closer, “No, I don’t want it to be over. Especially not with you.” Darcy smiled and pressed a kiss to his chest, “Ok, good. I know how stubborn you old men can be.”

Bucky gasped dramatically and swatted at her butt, “I ought to put your over my knee for bein’ so mouthy.”

Darcy lifted her head, glee in her eyes, “Now that doesn’t sound like a bad idea at all.” Bucky smirked as he pulled her on top of him, her squeals of laughter filling the room.

*****

After their unexpected night of passion, Bucky and Darcy had two good days. Two days they spent lounging in bed, wrapped around each other, their love-making only interrupted by shared showers and trips to the kitchen for food and for the multiple daily perimeter checks Bucky made. Two days where they made a new world for themselves. Two days that they spent blissfully happy. Two days before everything fell apart.


	6. Chapter 6

Darcy was standing at the sink doing dishes. Bucky was sitting at the kitchen table tugging on his boots, preparing to go for a walk around the property. She’d just turned back to face Bucky when it happened.

She felt her body jerk and heard herself make a small whimper for some reason.

The first thing she registered was the look of horror on his face, and how quickly it was chased out by the cold, calculating, look of the Winter Soldier. Him jumping up and pulling her away, dragging her as carefully as he could through the broken glass that suddenly and inexplicably surrounded her.

Next was the sound that finally reached her ears, or that she was finally able to process: a pop and the tinkling of broken glass.

Then came the smell, a rush of copper filling her nose, a visceral smell so undeniable as to what it was she darted her eyes around until she saw the spray of blood.

Of course that was when she felt it, the violent bloom of pain in her shoulder, the warm crimson stream flowing down her arm. Darcy looked at her shoulder, then back up at Bucky in shock, and the world began moving again.

Bucky pulled her forward, his body covering hers. He pushed her up the stairs and into the bathroom, checking her shoulder and pressing a towel to it. He reached into his waistband and pushed the gun he found there into her hands, “Hold the towel on your shoulder. Keep this door locked, anyone comes in, shoot to kill. You’re going to be alright.” Darcy heard him run from the room and down the stairs, stopping only to grab his weapons.

As she began processing what was happening, she panicked. The phone Natasha had given her for this very situation was in the next room, where she’d slipped it into her bag the night before. She knew she should listen to what Bucky told her, but she also desperately needed to let the others know that shit was going down.

Wrapping the towel around her shoulder and under her arm, she opened the bathroom door, gun at the ready. When she saw no one else in the hallway, she ran next door, grabbed her bag and rushed back into the bathroom. She leaned against the closed door to catch her breath, then dragged her bag into the corner of the room.

She dug through it, letting out a relieved gasp as she saw the first aid kit Natasha had packed in there. She set it back inside and grabbed the phone, dialing up the preprogrammed number, “Darcy?”

She let out a relieved breath, “Natasha! Someone’s here. They shot me and Bucky locked me in the bathroom and now he’s out there fighting them and ohmygod, please come help!”

Natasha’s voice was calm and soothing, “We are coming, how badly are you hurt, Darcy?”

Darcy tried to breathe steadily as she looked at the blood-soaked towel, “It’s my shoulder, there’s a lot of blood, but it looks like a through and through, and god, when did that become something to be happy about?” She could hear Natasha’s soft exhalation of relief, “Stay where you are, Darcy. Bucky will take care of whoever is out there. Do you have a weapon?”

“Yeah, Bucky left me a gun, and I have my taser.”

“You see anyone that isn’t me or Bucky, use that gun. Do not hesitate. Be strong, I will be there as soon as possible.” Darcy squeaked out a goodbye as Natasha ended the call. Darcy tightened the towel around her arm and forced her breathing into a calmer rhythm.

She crawled across the floor and leaned towards the door, ears pricked for any sound down below. She could hear faint pops in the distance, her heart lurching as she realized they were gunshots. _Please, please, please let him be ok. Don’t let me lose him when I’ve only just got him_ _._ She sat there for an eternity, listening as the gunfire slowed and then stopped altogether.

She heard a door open downstairs, but her happiness at the sound froze when she realized the door that had opened was the front door. She and Bucky never used the front door. She could hear heavy footsteps walk through the house, pausing as if the body attached to the feet were looking for someone. Darcy had a pretty good idea who the someone they were searching for might be. She also knew that the moment they got close enough to the staircase they’d see the trail of blood drops she’d left behind.

Darcy crouched down in the corner of the bathroom, gun raised, in a position that she hoped might give her a moment’s advantage. The footsteps finally reached the stairs and started the slow climb up.

Darcy forced herself not to be swept up in panic. Instead, she thought of the days that Natasha had dragged her into the gym to learn to defend herself, the weaponry lessons from Clint, long talks with Steve and Tony and Thor that taught her about all the different types of bravery, the knowledge that Bucky was down there somewhere and he would defend her with his dying breath. It was these thoughts that turned her spine to steel and strengthened her resolve. Every cell in her body was focused on the bathroom door and the very real threat behind it.

When the intruder reached the bathroom door, the door handle started turning, but it was locked. She tightened her grip on the gun, but lowered it behind her, bracing herself for whatever was about to happen, whatever method the man had chosen to get to her. With a bang, the door flew open and a broad-shouldered man sauntered into the room, “Well, look who I found.”

Darcy took a step back, eyeing the knife the man was casually pointing in her direction. He just laughed and stepped forward, “I’m not gonna hurt you. But you’re coming with us.” Darcy took a steadying breath and pulled the gun up from behind her back, relishing the look of shock on the man’s face as she pulled the trigger and hit him. He collapsed to the ground in a heap, his knife clattering across the bathroom tile.

She crept over to him to check that he wasn’t breathing, gingerly grabbing the gun he had holstered at his hip. She stared at the body before her, she was a murderer. _Oh_.

The sound of the front door opening roused her from her freakout. Whoever this was wasn’t playing the cat and mouse game the first one had. The intruder’s boots stamped a heavy, deliberate rhythm as they headed through the house.

She’d just heard the footsteps reach the landing at the top of the stairs and start towards the bathroom when another sound reached her ears. A loud bang and the sound of a body hitting the floor just down the hall. Darcy flinched as she heard the strained laugh of a stranger, “Ziminy Soldat.” Her eyes widened, she knew exactly who the stranger was talking to, who had pulled the trigger.

She shifted forward to hear Bucky’s soft response, but all she heard was the unfamiliar cadence of Russian. The intruder responded in the same language, but if Darcy were using her context clues, she’d guess it wasn’t exactly a friendly conversation. The man was obviously taunting Bucky, his voice mocking. Bucky laughed, although he obviously didn’t find whatever the other man was saying the least bit funny. His voice was thrumming with anger as he spit out a final response, the sound of another gunshot immediately following.

Darcy watched with widened eyes as Bucky stepped down the hallway and stood in the doorway. She felt a wave of relief wash over her when she saw that he looked mostly unharmed, a cut on his face that looked kinda gross, and it looked like his arm may have been grazed by a bullet, but he was alive and that’s all that mattered.

His face twisted in anger as he took in the man she’d shot. When he looked up to her, his entire being relaxed, “You ok, Darce?” Darcy sucked in a shaky breath, “Yeah, I’m ok. You ok?”

He gave a soft huff and pointed to the body, “Yeah, I’m ok. You do this?” Darcy nodded, “Yeah. He broke in so I did what you said.” Bucky stepped over the body and pulled Darcy into his arms, “I’m sorry you had to do that, but I’m so glad you did it. Now, we need to get out of here. You call Natasha?”

“Yes, she is gathering the troops, I think.” Darcy grabbed her bag where she’d stashed the first aid kit and the phone and turned to leave. She stepped around the body, skirting the pool of blood that she was certain she’d see in her dreams for a very long time.

They reached the SUV, Bucky leading her around the worst of the carnage, although she saw enough to realize just how many men had come for them. And Bucky had fought them all off, saved the both of them. Bucky helped her into the back of the vehicle and got in, speeding off while dialing Natasha. Darcy lay her head against the window, full of pain and slightly woozy, only half-listening to Bucky on the phone.

They drove for about an hour, the sun slipping below the horizon. They pulled into the parking lot of a closed grocery store, driving around to the back and parking behind a garbage can. Bucky climbed into the back seat with her. He pulled out the first aid kit and used his knife to cut away the shoulder of her shirt.

She winced as fresh blood began to flow, “You didn’t do all this just to get the chance to rip my top off, did you?” He shook his head, a fond smile on his face, “Now why would I do that, doll. Already had you naked in my arms this morning.” It seemed so long ago that she was tangled up with him, totally happy, totally safe. She grinned, “Yes, I remember.”  

She watched him as he examined her shoulder, wrapping it in gauze until she could get back to the Tower. When he was done, he gave her one of her painkillers that he’d dug out of the bag. She swallowed it and leaned back against the seat.

Bucky stared at her, his face filled with a million different emotions. He reached out and touched her face before leaning forward and kissing her softly. Darcy threw her uninjured arm around his neck and pulled him closer to deepen the kiss. His hands ran down her sides and she pressed closer to him, attempting to crawl into his lap. The cramped quarters and her shoulder made this difficult and Darcy only succeeded in bumping her arm. She flinched, and Bucky stilled beneath her.

He gently lifted her off of him and back into her seat, “You’re gonna hurt yourself, doll.” Darcy frowned as he stepped out of the car and crawled back into the driver’s seat, “Natasha said that she and Steve will be here soon. Try to relax.” Bucky faced forward, his eyes darting around the parking lot, taking in their surroundings.

It wasn’t long before he sat up in his seat and got out, “Stay here, I’ll be right back.” Darcy watched as he grabbed his gun and crept around the car and the side of the building.

He returned a moment with an anxious Steve beside him. Darcy threw the door open and climbed out, shouting Steve’s name. He ran up and hugged her, taking care not to touch her shoulder or squeeze her too hard. Bucky and Steve led her out to where Stark’s quinjet was parked. When they climbed up the ramp, Natasha appeared, rushing forward to wrap an arm around her, “I’m glad to see you, _kotyonok_. Let’s get you home.” Darcy smiled and hugged her, “I’ve missed you, Nat.”

She got buckled in to her seat, and Natasha headed to the cockpit. Steve, Bucky, and Natasha spoke in low voices at the front of the jet as the fatigue of the day combined with the painkillers for Darcy to drift off. It wasn’t until they’d landed back at the Tower that Darcy woke up.

She allowed Steve to pick her up and carry her, suddenly not caring if she looked weak and helpless. She’d been shot, dammit. If that didn’t allow her some time wrapped in Captain America’s arms, nothing would. Of course, if she’d been more lucid, she would’ve been more pissed that Steve had taken the initiative to carry her instead of Bucky. His were the arms she really wanted right now.

Once they reached Medical, the doctors patched Darcy up, making the official diagnosis that Darcy would indeed, live. She saw Bucky pass her room once, but she was disappointed that he didn’t stop in. Even though it was the middle of the night, immediately as she was given the all-clear to leave, Natasha showed up. The redhead walked Darcy upstairs to her room and helped her shower, taking care not to disturb her injury. She climbed into bed, wrapped in her fuzziest blanket, as Natasha curled up beside her.

When she’d first met Natasha, Darcy had been slightly terrified of her, she could admit that now. The woman radiated a fierceness that belied her calm actions. It was like she didn’t need to snarl and bark to have people fear her. There was an undeniable, unrestrained danger that radiated from her.

Darcy could hardly reconcile that woman from the early days, the one full of blank stares and cold words and suspicious movements, with the one sitting with her now. They’d become friends, and Darcy could say with all honesty that Natasha was one of the most important people in her life. Underneath all of the scariness was a softness that Darcy had grown to love. She felt a wave of affection for this woman who was always so gentle with her.

She didn’t know it, but the redhead felt a similar affection for her, the lab assistant who had pulled out a side of Natasha she didn’t know existed. Had given her a taste of a normal life, invited her into an easy friendship, and shown her what it was like to trust someone in ways other than whether or not they’d have her back in the midst of a fight. Had given her permission to feel human.

Natasha stroked Darcy’s hair, “Would you like to talk about it?” Darcy shrugged, answering in her usual flippant tone, “Well, getting shot was no fun, if that’s what you mean. And the no internet thing kinda sucked. But it’s over now, so that’s good.”

Natasha hummed softly, giving Darcy the chance to continue with a soft voice, “And, you know. I killed someone today, Nat. I know it was either him or me, and I don’t regret the choice I made, but still. I’m a murderer.”

Natasha stilled, “You took a life, but you are not a murderer. You defended yourself in the only way you could. I hate that you had to do it, because I know the guilt that can come afterwards. I know what it’s like to feel overwhelmed by the red in your ledger, how it can crush you sometimes. But you protected yourself. That is a wonderful thing and I am so proud of you.”

Darcy wiped away the tears that had trickled down her cheeks, “Thank you, Nat.”

They sat in silence before Natasha spoke again, “Do you want to talk about you and Bucky?” Darcy’s eyes flew up to look at her friend, sighing, “Of course you know.” Natasha smirked, “Of course. I know everything.”

Darcy laughed, “Yes, it feels that way sometimes,” she shrugged, “I don’t know. We might be together now? I’m a little fuzzy on where we stand with one another. When we were there, it was just us. It made sense. Now we’re here and I don’t know what he wants. If the things we said and did meant anything.”

“Do you love him?”

Darcy stared at the ceiling and nodded softly, “I think so.”

Natasha sighed, “I can't say I'm surprised. I've seen this coming for awhile. I won’t try to warn you off of him. Others will do that enough if you two decide to be together. I love you and I want you to be safe, but I know that you bring out the best in others. You bring out the best in him. If he makes you happy, that’s all that matters. You know that we are all here for you and that we will do whatever is necessary to protect you.”

Darcy grinned at Natasha and hugged her close, “I know. You’re the best.”

“Just let me know if I need to give him a shovel talk. I’m very good at threatening people.” Darcy giggled, “I will definitely do that. I like watching you threaten people.” They lay back and JARVIS started a queue of Disney movies and soon Darcy was fast asleep.

It was afternoon by the time Darcy woke the next day. Natasha was gone but Clint was laying at the foot of her bed, tossing a Hulk-shaped stress ball up into the air and catching it, “You’re up.” Darcy took a sip of the water sitting on her nightstand, “So it would seem. Gotta say, I loved the farmhouse, but the security was shit,” she said with a teasing grin.

The corner of Clint’s mouth ticked up, “That’s not my fault, I wouldn’t have invited you to stay if I’d known you were gonna get yourself shot.” His gaze softened as he looked at her bandages, “You ok, D?”

She kicked at him, “I’m fine. And hey, I’ll probably have a cool new scar now. I can wear tank tops around the lab all summer and scare Jane’s new interns with stories about that one time I was in a shootout.”

“I don’t know if what happened would actually be considered a shootout.” She frowned, “Hey! I’m injured. You can’t argue with me while I’m injured. It’s rude.”

Clint held up his hands, “My bad. Shootout, gotcha.”

Darcy grinned back at him, “Thank you. For real, though, sorry we shot up your farmhouse. Also, why didn’t you tell me you had a farmhouse? I feel like that was important information.” Clint shrugged, “What can I say? I contain multitudes, Lewis.”

“Did you just quote Walt Whitman?” Clint just shot her his best _yes-and-aren’t-you-impressed_ look and went back to tossing the stress ball.

He hopped up with a, “C’mon,” and dragged her out to the couch where they spent the afternoon watching Dog Cops. Tony and Bruce stopped by to visit at one point, leaving only after Darcy promised to come play with them in the lab the next day. Steve and Natasha stopped in, too. They crowded in on the couch, just enjoying each other’s presence and the calm that comes between the calamities that always seem to strike.

Eventually, they all decided that the patient needed sleep and Darcy was left all alone in her apartment. She shuffled back to her bed, curling up in an attempt to sleep, but it just wasn’t happening.

Darcy threw the covers off her body and pulled on her bedroom shoes, “Jarvis? Is Bucky asleep?”

“No, Miss Lewis. Sargent Barnes is still awake. Do you require his presence?”

“No, that’s fine. Is he in his apartment?”

“Yes, Miss Lewis.”

“Ok. Thanks, J.” Darcy left her apartment, headed to Bucky’s. When she got there, she hesitated. What if he didn’t want to see her? He hadn’t exactly made an effort to stop by since they’d gotten back. Darcy knocked gently on the door, knowing he’d hear her.

Bucky opened the door moments later and stood in the doorway looking at her. His eyes brightened when he saw her, “Darcy?” She smiled, “Hey. How’s it going?” A ghost of a smile crossed his face, “It’s ok.” So, he didn’t seem unhappy to see her, but he wasn’t exactly excited for her to be there.

His eyes shifted from her face to look her over, and his expression immediately fell. She followed his gaze to see that he was looking at where her bandage was sticking out of the neck of her shirt. She tugged the shirt back up and sighed, “So, that’s what’s going on.”

“What do you mean?”

She shook her head, “Bucky, we were ok. No, we were better than ok. We were really good together. And now you’re looking at me with pity and guilt and I fucking hate it. Don’t do this. Please. Don’t give up on us.”

He just stared at the ground, looking torn, “I let you get shot, Darcy. That was the whole reason I was there. And you got hurt. How can you forgive me for that? How can I forgive myself for that?”

Darcy stepped forward and placed her hand on his chin, forcing him to look at her, “You saved me. I am eternally grateful for that. Don’t you dare blame yourself for what those monsters did. I don’t forgive you, because there’s nothing to forgive.” Bucky’s brows furrowed as he thought about what Darcy said.

She didn’t want to push, so she ran her hand along his jaw and down to rest on his chest, “You know it’ll take more than a little gunshot to get rid of me, anyway,” she smiled at him, “I’m gonna leave you alone for right now. I want you to think about what I said. Think about what we had in that farmhouse. You make me happy, I think I could make you happy too. Just- don’t talk yourself out of this because you think you don’t deserve something that could be really good, ok?”

She leaned up and placed a kiss on his cheek and whispered softly, “I love you, Bucky.” She turned away and walked back to her room.

Knowing that it would be awhile before she would get to sleep, Darcy curled up on the couch and flipped through the channels. It was well past midnight when she heard the knock at the door. Her heart fluttered at the thought that it might be Bucky. She opened the door, and sure enough, there he stood.

She said his name in a soft exhale as he surged forward to take her carefully in his arms and kiss her. His hands traveled her body with a fierceness that took her breath away. He grabbed her hips and she took the opportunity to jump up and wrap her legs around his waist.

Darcy could feel him pressed against her, his heart pounding as fast as hers. She didn’t realize they were moving until Bucky stopped and pressed her against her bedroom door, leveraging her body with his. She pulled away from him to look into his eyes. His eyes that were raging with desire, but also begging her to pull him out of himself, to save him as only she could.

She kissed him again, a promise that she was with him for the long haul, that she wasn’t going to be pushed away by him, that she was devoting herself to him fully. Because she loved him, and she was pretty sure he loved her too.

He began moving again, setting her gently on the bed. She pulled at his clothes until he tugged them off, before allowing him to help her remove hers. He gently worked her shirt off, careful not to hurt her. A flash of guilt came across his face, but Darcy quickly kissed it away, “Hey, no more of that.”

He nodded and gathered her into his arms, pulling her up to the center of the bed. Their bodies aligned and Bucky was soon moving within her, peppering kisses along her neck and whispering her name over and over like a prayer, both of them rediscovering that contentment they’d found in the dusty old farmhouse.

Later, Bucky pulled Darcy into his arms, both of them sated and happy. He leaned down and laid a gentle kiss to her shoulder, “I’ll never let anyone hurt you again.” Darcy smiled a lazy smile, “I know. I’ve never doubted that. I always feel safe with you.”

His thumb rubbed her shoulder as he looked at her, “I’m gonna mess up, though. I’ll need you there to knock some sense into me.”

She nuzzled against him, “I can do that. And I don’t mind if you mess up sometimes. I’ll mess up, too. We can mess up together.”

“I like the sound of that. The together thing.” She drew tiny circles on his chest with her fingertip, “Does mean you’re gonna stay? No running off if things get tough?”

He nodded, “As long as you’ll have me, I’ll stay.”

“I don’t ever want you to go. Be prepared though, Natasha is gonna give you a shovel talk, and she promised I could watch.”

He chuckled softly, “Just gonna throw me to the wolves, huh?” She grinned and nodded, “I’ll make sure she doesn’t go too hard on you.”

“Well I certainly appreciate that.” Darcy pressed her lips to his collarbone, “It’s only ‘cuz I love you, though.” Bucky felt a smile cover his face and he was certain he would never tire of hearing those words from her.

Darcy started drifting off, only to hear a soft, “I love you, too,” in her ear. She just pulled Bucky closer to her and let herself fall asleep wrapped in his arms.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Big thank you to everyone who read and left comments and kudos for this! Really. You are all just lovely.


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